Without You
by Savannahbobanna
Summary: Bella is on her own when she finds the clearing. When Laurent finds her there, her werewolf saviors are nowhere to be found. Is Laurent a good guy, or will his bad side overcome him? I deleted it... for some reason. I can't really remember why...
1. Chapter 1

**Oh man... I am SO CRAZY! Five unfinished stories... :) and I'm excited by that, actually. I had this story on here before, but I deleted it... for some reason that I cannot remember. ANYWAY! You don't have to review the first two chapters if you dont want to... Some of you probably already reviewed them the first time around. **

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_At that precise moment, I realized why he looked the same-too much the same. After Carlisle told us that Laurent had stayed with Tanya's family, I'd begun to picture him, on the rare occasions that I thought of him at all, with the same golden eyes that the... Cullens-I forced the name out, wincing-had. That all good vampires had. _

_I took an involuntary step back, and his curious, dark red eyes followed the movement._

"Why are you here?" I asked, my throat dry. Laurent smiled his heartbreakingly beautiful smile. He took a look around the clearing, almost as if to check if it was safe to talk.

"Well, Bella," he started, taking a step towards me. I willed myself to stay still. "I'm here because of you," he said, his voice alluring.

I didn't dare let myself hope. He couldn't have been on some mission from the Cullens... could he? After all, he was friends with Tanya and the clan in Denali. Maybe they contacted him...

"I don't get it," I admitted.

"I know someone who happens to be quite... aggravated with you, Bella. You might remember her, Victoria is her name," he said. He was close enough to touch me. "Your Edward killed her James," he sighed. My face distorted in pain when he said the name. "She thinks it's only fair to kill you."

My knees buckled, my heard stopped. I would have ended up on the ground in a heap of sobs if it weren't for Laurent. He caught me before I hit the damp, soft grass.

"Bella, calm down!" he exclaimed, hugging me to his chest. It was such an unexpected gesture. I automatically put my arms around him, longing for someone to comfort me.

"I came here as a favor to you. We wouldn't want Victoria to get you, would we?" he said.

I could barely speak. Laurent, the Laurent, was helping me. I didn't understand.

"Why?" I groaned into his shoulder. "Why would you help me?"

"You don't know Victoria like I do. She... she has no morals. I know it sounds strange coming from me, but it's sick, even for a vampire," he said, shuddering.

I took a deep breath, calming myself.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, pulling away from his cold, strong grasp. We, I had referred to the two of us as we. The thought was strange, that anyone but Jake and I would be considered we.

"We need to get you out of Forks, out of Washington, as soon as possible. It isn't safe for you to be anywhere near here."

I started to panic, my breaths coming in short gasps. I'd never be able to explain my leaving to Charlie, to Jake. I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to my Jacob, to my everything! He was the sun, the light in my life. My face twisted into a mask of discomfort at the thought.

I saw Laurent reach towards me, his finger trailed the length of my face.

"Shh," he muttered. "It's all going to work out fine."

I looked into his eyes, his dark red eyes, and felt an overwhelming sense of safety. I was drawn into him, it was a hypnotizing feeling. "I trust you," I whispered, surprising myself with the words. I knew I trusted him, for some strange reason. It just felt right.

He held out his hand. "Do you mind?" he asked.

I hesitated. He wanted to take me somewhere, I had no idea where. Yes, I did say I trusted him, but enough to have him carry me?

I grasped his hand, and with a softness that startled me, he swung me onto his back. Obviously living in Denali had changed him. He could bear my scent without going insane, he was gentle, not using his usual full strength. He was treating me like I was unbearably breakable.

"Where are we going?" I asked, making sure to do it before he started to run.

"Your house," he answered like it was the only answer.

He didn't give me a chance to answer, shooting off like a bat out of hell.

I kept my eyes open while he ran. It was different than being with him when he ran.

A thought occurred to me at that point. Why had Edwards voice not roared through my head yet. Certainly the mere sight of Laurent should trigger that in me. I was being stupid, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Perhaps, this whole situation, however threatening, stupid, and risky, really was the right thing to do.

I saw the trees pass by, blurring into a wall of green. I closed my eyes, soaking up the rush of running.

"Ahem," coughed Laurent. I flinched, startled by the sudden noise.

I opened my eyes, we were in front of my house. Charlie's cruiser wasn't in the driveway. He was probably still fishing.

I slipped off of Laurent like a pro, I'd done it many times before. It was then that I remembered my truck. "Oh," I said aloud.

"What?" he asked, turning to look at me. It'd take a while to get used to the color of his eyes. Hopefully he could refrain from eating people. It would be good for the population, and his eyes would go back to the color I was used to.

"My truck," I murmured.

"I'll get it," he said, his voice a soft purr. He held out his hand, I dropped my keys into his palm. "Be back in a moment," he said, voice muted. He was gone before I could blink.

I moved to the front door in a daze. I got the key from under the eve and unlocked the door, my body numb.

It wasn't until I was in the house, my own house, when it hit me.

I was about to run away, away from everything. Away from Charlie, Jacob... they were my everything. Charlie could manage, he managed for seventeen years before I got there. Yes, the initial shock would be a burden for him, but only for a little while. He'd get over it soon enough.

Jake, he was the one I worried about. The last I'd seen him, he was talking about how he was going to be persistent, how he wouldn't give up on me, broken or not. It took a lot for that kind of devotion.

He deserved better than me. I sank to the floor.

That's where Laurent found me. Without a word he scooped me up and cradled me to his chest.

"Silly, silly, Bella," he crooned. "There's nothing to worry about. We'll get Victoria, and once she's gone, you can come back here." He set me onto my feet, keeping a hold of my waist to make sure I wouldn't fall.

"You promise?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**So there are those! Feel free to review :) It always makes me happy.**

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I was taking it calmly, very calmly. I was going to leave my family, and here I was, packing my clothes, no more tears on my face. I understood that to keep them safe, to keep Victoria from coming to my town, I'd have to leave. 

Laurent was looking around my little room, his nose scrunched.

"What?" I asked, feeling self-conscious. He was the first vampire I'd seen in months, that must have been why I was so eager to impress him.

"It's harder... indoors," he sighed. I froze, understanding what he meant. My scent was pressed all over the room. The smell must have been driving him crazy.

He noticed my hesitation. "Oh, I'll be fine," he smiled.

I moved past him into the bathroom, throwing my toiletries into my bag. He gave me fifteen minutes to pack.

I was packed, ready, _and_ had written Charlie a goodbye letter, in ten. We stood in the entryway, my heart pounding faster and faster by the second.

"Ready?" he asked, taking my bag from my hand and swinging it onto his shoulder. He didn't even seem to realize he had committed a friendly deed.

"Yes," I murmured, starting to re-think the decision to leave in the first place.

He sensed my reluctance to move. He stopped walking and grabbed my hand. The gesture shocked me, he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. I guess my first impression of him had been wrong, he wasn't that bad a guy after all.

"Bella, you're doing what's right, you really are. It's going to be okay. you'll be safe, I'm here," he said, sincerity ringing in his every word.

"I'm right behind you," I sighed. I couldn't help it, my mouth worked before my brain did.

I followed him outside, my truck was parked in the driveway. I started to walk towards it, thinking it was the obvious way to travel.

"Where are you going?" he asked, amusement coloring his tone.

I turned around and saw where he was headed. In front of the house sat a small black car, expensive by the look of it. It seemed like all vampires were made of money.

"Oh," I said, laughing shakily. I had to get a better grip on my emotions. I was coming apart at the seams!

I turned around and walked to the passenger side. Laurent held the door open, acting like the gentleman I had come to find out he really was.

He was in the drivers seat within seconds and started the car.

"Where are we going?" I asked. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea where we were going to go.

"I figure we'll drive on up to Canada. If we drive, there will be no plane paperwork that Victoria could find," he explained. It seemed logical enough to me.

"Why Canada?" I questioned.

"Well, we'd be very near to Alaska." That was all he had to say. I knew why it was good to be near Alaska. If we needed help, we'd have the other "nice" clan only a few hours away. Well, technically a few days away, but since vampires didn't abide by the traffic laws, I didn't think it'd take long.

"Alright," I sighed.

I think part of the reason I was going had to do with the lack of Edward's voice in my head. I was embarking on one of the more risky journeys of my life, and not even so much as a whisper had sounded in my head. Perhaps that's why I thought it was so safe to leave with Laurent.

The minutes in the car blurred into hours, and I slowly drifted to sleep.

As I slept, I dreamed.

I was in the sea of ferns, the place where Edward's house was usually placed. It was routine. Half of the time, this was where I was when I slept. The other half was spent wandering through the empty forest.

There was something different though, something dramatically different. The Cullen family was situated all throughout the huge field, but I didn't look at a single one of them. There was one person there who wasn't in the Cullen family... Laurent.

I headed towards him, dazed. He held out his arms, waiting for me to reach him. Edward stepped behind him and gave him a pat on the back. Edward didn't look at me. When I finally reached him I stopped, not indulging in his embrace yet. It was then that Edward saw me. His face twisted into a look of pure disgust. He stalked towards me, eyes narrowed. I ran to the refuge of Laurent's arms, but Edward yanked me back.

I screamed into consciousness, my seatbelt keeping me from smacking my face against the dashboard. I shook my head, clearing away the dream.

"That was interesting... I've never watched a human sleep before. Are you okay?" he asked after his observation.

"Yeah, sorry," I muttered. I didn't want to go into this subject with him.

"What's it like to dream?" he asked. He was not even remotely paying attention to the road.

"It depends," I said my answer short, sharp.

"On?" he urged.

"On whether you're having a good day. On whether you're happy. On lot's of things, okay Laurent?" He was grating on my last nerve.

"Sorry," he said, lowering his voice.

"No problem," I croaked, watching the landscape speed by my window.

"One more question," he said, pulling me away from the very boring world outside.

"What?" I snapped.

"What were you dreaming about? It sounded like it scared you," he noted, eyes intent on my face.

"I can't remember," I lied.

He could tell. "Please?" he breathed, leaving me dazed. Only one person had done that to me before.

I gave in easily. "I dreamed about _them_," I whispered. "I had to choose between... _him_ and... someone else."

"Who was the someone else?" he asked.

"You."

He looked away, his eyebrows furrowed. I knew he would be irritated if I told him.

"And who did you choose?" he questioned through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure you want to know?" I hoped he didn't say yes.

He nodded curtly.

"You," I mouthed, knowing he heard. He frowned, his eyes scanning my face.

"What did... _he_ do?" He strangely knew not to say the name.

"He glared at me. It was like he hated me, like he wanted to rip me to shreds," I explained, shuddering.

"They left forever, didn't they?" He asked, cutting right to the point.

"Yes." I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes.

"Why?" he asked.

"Jasper, he isn't very good at restraining himself yet. I got a paper cut, he attacked. _He_ figured It would be better for my health if they all left."

"Idiot," growled Laurent. He was gripping the wheel so hard I was afraid it was going to break. "If he really loved you, really truly loved you, he would have stayed. No matter if his 'brother' tried to attack. If he was any kind of man at all he could have protected you. You deserve someone better than that," he ranted.

I was shocked, yet again. Laurent was becoming more human by the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**So... I like writing this story...**

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The car ride was long. Even with the intense speed, it took several hours to get to our destination.

Laurent and I talked only a very little. I tried to sleep for a bit, but the effort was futile. It was like everything that happened in the past day was slowly sinking in. My mood sank lower and lower as the minutes ticked by.

When we finally stopped it was dark. I could hardly see what was outside of my window. I could use quite a few more hours of sleep. Sleeping in a car never really rested me up. It was too uncomfortable, and much too restless. I had my head rested on the window. I didn't want to move. I needed sleep and I needed my family.

"Bella, we need to get out of the car," said Laurent, his voice hushed.

"Where are we?" I asked groggily. I rubbed my eyes. Car travel always made me feel like I needed to rest for a couple... hundred days. That's why I didn't do it much.

"We're at a hotel, the safest place I can think to be right now," he answered.

He got out and walked human speed to my door. When he opened it, he saw that I was a little to tired to actually move. The arctic blast of air wasn't even enough to clear my head. All I could think about was how much I was starting to miss my family, and especially my Jacob. I needed him. Quite frankly, I'd be happy with anyone. I just needed someone to tell me it was going to be okay.

Laurent shrugged and slid his arm around my waist. He supported all of my weight as we walked.

"I called in reservations, so we just have to pick up the key," he murmured.

Minutes later, we were in the room. It was one of the nicest hotel rooms I'd ever been in. There was a huge bed on the wall, a mini kitchen was on the other side of the room. A big screen TV was settled in the living area. My mouth dropped open.

"Tired?" asked Laurent, smiling wryly.

I nodded weakly. He settled me on the bed and set my bag next to me. I didn't even know he had it.

I was much to tired to take my shoes off, let alone change into jammies. I managed to kick my shoes off before lying back on the bed. I didn't even bother to cover myself.

I heard Laurent chuckle softly. He lifted me gently, and slid me under the blankets.

"Laurent?" I yawned.

"Hmm?" he asked. He sounded distracted. I opened my eyes to find him staring, almost scrutinizing, my face.

"Is everything going to be okay?" I wanted the truth.

He was silent for a second. His brow furrowed. "Do you trust me, Bella?" He ignored my question.

It was my turn to be quiet. Why had I decided to go with Laurent so readily earlier? When I looked into his eyes... I couldn't help but go along with what he said. I trusted him. "Yes," I whispered.

"Sleep, then. We'll talk when you wake up." He smiled, it dazzled me. It was the second time he'd been able to affect me like _he_ had. It scared me. Laurent did, after all, have red eyes. The color that eyes turn after a vampire cheats on the "vegetarian" diet. It was irrational for me to feel dazzled by someone who ate people, not to mention dangerous.

Laurent saw the change in my expression. "What's wrong?"

"I... I..." I choked. I missed _him_. Laurent had made me feel what I thought I had safely buried deep down inside me, and it reminded me of how much I really wanted my other family to come back. How I longed to see everyone's smiling faces...

I started to cry.

Laurent sat down on the bed and stroked my cheek. He let me cry, no questions asked. And boy, did I cry for quite some time. I thought there were no more tears to shed for my lost future... but I was wrong. Not only was it for the lack of... the Cullen's... in my life, but it was for Jacob. I'd never see him again. It was for Charlie, Renee, even Phil.

When I had finally run myself out of tears, I shuddered. Laurent moved to get up off of the bed. He wanted to let me sleep in peace.

"No," I whispered. I couldn't let anyone else leave me right now.

"You want me to stay?" he asked. He was clearly surprised. I was too, actually. Usually, I'd want a vampire like Laurent as far away from me as possible. Perhaps I'd gone insane.

When he sat back on the bed, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards me. I wanted something to hug, something that would satisfy me enough to let me sleep without fear of abandonment. Laurent seemed like the perfect fit for the role.

He accepted the new development and rested his head on the pillow, right beside mine. I looked at him, it was the first time I really looked closely at his face. His cheekbones stood out, his lips were full. His dark hair fell into his red eyes. His eyes searched mine, probably looking for some explanation to my need for someone. I broke the eye contact and felt my eyelids droop.

"Bella," he whispered. His breath blew in my face, it smelled fantastic. It'd been so long since had gotten to smell anything remotely like that.

"Mmm?" I hummed.

"Do you want me to stay here?"

"Mmhmm," I answered. There was no way I'd let him leave. Now that I had this presence beside me, I wasn't going to give it up easily. Especially since that presence was a vampire.

I heard him laugh quietly. He slid his arm around my waist. It wasn't uncomfortable, like I would have thought it would be. It felt natural, like his arm fit perfectly there. He reached behind and turned off the light. I buried my face into his chest. I could feel he wasn't breathing.

"Are you okay?" I asked. My words were a little slurred, I was so tired.

"I'll be okay," he answered. As if to prove a point, he took a deep breath. "Okay," he repeated. It sounded like he was reassuring himself.

Finally, I drifted to sleep.

Once again, I dreamed.

This time I was at my house. My room was dark, the rain splattered against the window harder than usual. It was nighttime. I was sitting in my bed. Jacob was in the doorway, his face distorted. It wasn't my Jacob... it was an angry Jacob, furious even.

"Jake?" I whispered.

"How could you?" he yelled.

"Shh, you'll wake Charlie!" I said.

"After all he did to you!" shouted Jacob.

"Calm down, please," I begged.

"Don't tell me what to do, traitor," he barked. "I'll leave you to get back to your business." He fled the room.

I finally looked around my room for the first time. Sitting beside me was Edward, but he started to change. His eyes shifted from gold to red. His hair darkened.

Soon it wasn't Edward sitting next to me on my bed, it was Laurent.

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**Bella is an emotional wreck, just remember that.**

**Review please :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here ya go... for any of you who are even reading this :)**

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I woke up, screaming of course. Laurent was beside me, his cold arms around me, his cool breath on my face. It calmed me considerably.

"Once again, it's fascinating watching a human sleep. I'm starting to get the reason _he _stayed with you, if only a little bit," breathed Laurent. "Are you okay?

"I'm okay," I whispered. I didn't know what it was about the dream that scared me, but I was rattled. Maybe it was the fact that Jacob was so mad at me. He was never the angry kind of person, I hardly ever saw him frown.

"Do you ever wake up without screaming?" He smoothed my hair away from my face.

"Rarely," I replied.

"How strange," he muttered. To my surprise, he didn't move to get up. He kept his arms tight around me. "Your heartbeat still hasn't slowed," he whispered.

"Yeah." Little did he know, it was mostly his fault. It was absurd, but I actually liked his arms around me. It must have been because they reminded me of Edward's, that's all.

"Strange," he whispered again. We were both quiet then, neither of us moved.

The silence was interrupted when his cell phone rang. I was actually surprised, he didn't seem the cell phone type.

"Hello?" he asked. He face darkened when he heard the voice on the other end. "Irina, I told you." He paused, waiting for a response. "I'm not a total monster. Maybe you should learn some compassion, yes? I don't do that anymore, I just slipped up once."

I felt a sneeze coming. I tried to keep it away, but that just made it come out even louder. I heard the voice on the other side get even louder

"Do I have to tell you everything? Can't you trust me? Just call me when you're in a better mood." He snapped the phone shut.

"Irina... she lives in Denali, right?" I knew that much, at least.

"Yes, she does. Unfortunately, she thinks that I'm off killing people like some madman. She knows I'm with someone, your little sneeze proved it. She told me to kill my little friend and then go back to her." I flinched after he spoke.

"Is she..." I trailed off.

"My mate? In a way, I suppose. I sometimes enjoy being with her, even if she is an annoying shrew of a woman most of the time. I question the relationship. I don't know what made me want to be with her in the first place. She really can be quite the handful," he sighed.

"Oh, I see."

"Yes, she called just now to check up on me. She is quite possessive. It drives me mad. I hate being kept on a leash, especially one being held by someone so insufferable." I could hear his slight French accent better when he was aggravated.

"Why are you still with her then?" I felt nosy, but I really wanted to know.

"Because there's no one else, nothing else. It can be terribly boring, living forever. After awhile you've done it all." He was stroking my arm, but I didn't know if he realized it.

"That's not a very positive way to look at it," I noted.

"Sometimes I'm not a very positive person," he replied. "What were you dreaming about?" He changed the subject. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't like it if someone poked into my personal life, if I had one, that is.

"My best friend," I whispered.

"What's her name?"

"It's a he. He is probably worried sick by now..." I sighed.

"Your best friend is a he?" asked Laurent.

I didn't get why he was so shocked. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing," he murmured. I didn't want to push the issue any further.

I closed my eyes. I could still feel his breath on my cheek. "Is it uncomfortable being this close to me?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine with it." He took a deep breath, as if proving his point.

"Are you sure? I'm okay now. I don't think I'll be having another... breakdown," I explained.

"I'm okay, I promise." He chuckled.

"How?"

"I just had a little slip-up, Bella. That's the only reason my eyes are this color. I have... accidents, but I saw a challenge when I went to Denali. I saw the challenge in not eating humans and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. If I were a little less confident in myself, I probably would have killed you by now." He was still lying right next to me. He brushed the hair away from my face. His casual confession didn't scare me as much as it probably should have.

I sighed and sat up. As much as he said being close to me didn't bother him, it bothered me. I was beginning to think that my heart would never stop racing. I stood up and sat on the couch in front of the TV.

Laurent hopped off the bed and stood beside the couch. "Any movies you'd like to watch?" he asked.

"Not unless you'd like to watch one." I felt bad that he had to cart me all the way out here, so I might as well let him be the one to choose what we do.

"Nonsense, don't worry about me. It's all about you." He smiled.

"Let's watch a movie then," I sighed.

"Which one?" He turned on the TV and pressed menu. There was a limited selection. I'd never even heard of most of the movies. When we finally decided, it was an action film. No romance. No zombies. Just good old blood and guts.

I started to regret the decision when I saw the hunger in Laurent's eyes. Someone was stabbed and the blood started pouring out. I could see Laurent struggle to control himself. I finally took the remote and turned the TV off. If there was one thing that would be bad for the situation it was _another _crazy vampire.

He shook his head, as if to clear it, and looked at me. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I suppose that was a bit of a bad choice on my part. I should not have agreed."

"Sorry for choosing it," I mumbled.

"Oh, it's not your fault."

My stomach growled. I didn't realize how hungry I had become. 

"Time for some food?" he asked.

"That would be nice," I replied.

He got up and reached for the phone. He was interrupted by three sharp knocks on the door. By the way he was standing, I knew that there wasn't someone he wanted to see behind the door. I froze as he moved to open it.

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**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am clearly addicted to this story. Enjoy.**

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"Hello, Irina," said Laurent, running his hand through his dark hair.

Irina wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. I felt awkward immediately. Irina laughed.

She pulled away then, and gave him a swift slap across the face. "How dare you go on an adventure and not bring me along?" she asked. Her voice was high, almost piercing. Her black hair fell just below her shoulders. She was dressed elegantly in clothes that were obviously expensive. "I forgive you, though. Who's the girl?"

Laurent turned his back on her to face me. He rolled his eyes, I stifled a smile. He took Irina's hand and pulled her to stand in front of the couch.

"Irina, this is Bella. Bella, this is Irina," he said, gesturing to each of us. Irina stuck out her hand and I reached up to shake it.

"So, what is she doing here?" asked Irina like I wasn't sitting right in front of her.

"Have a seat," Laurent said. She sat down on the far side of the couch, leaving Laurent to squeeze in between us.

"So?" droned Irina.

"I'm protecting her. She is wanted by Victoria. Victoria feels like she has to kill Bella for revenge," explained Laurent.

"Revenge? How strange. Bella, why does your name sound familiar?" Irina questioned.

"She was with the Cullens for awhile. She was Edward's mate," answered Laurent, rescuing me from saying the name.

"Oh, you're _that_ Bella." I noticed her face fall a little when she found out who I was. Her tone became a little nastier. She was probably expecting me to be prettier, thinner. I could hardly blame her.

"That's me," I murmured.

"Why isn't Edward doing your protecting?" She sounded a bit smug when she asked.

"He-he left. He told me he didn't want me anymore. His brother Jasper tried to kill me, then he left." The words burned in my throat as I spoke them. I was surprised that she didn't know the story already.

"Edward is so great!" she exclaimed, surprising me. "He is kind, caring, smart."

She seemed oblivious to the fact that Laurent looked... well, awkward when she described Edward. It sounded like she had the hots for him...

I felt the edges of the hole inside me simmer. It had been awhile since it paid me a visit, but the hole was definitely still there. I felt empty inside, very empty.

"Hmm... excuse me for a minute," sang Irina. She hopped off the couch and let herself out of the room.

I pulled my arms around my stomach and tried to breathe without gasping. I shut my eyes and focused on the darkness. I felt Laurent scoot closer to me. He rubbed soothing circles on my back with one hand. His other hand took one of my arms from around my stomach. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He was holding me together for that moment.

"Shh," crooned Laurent.

"I'll. Be. Okay," I managed to blurt.

"I'm sorry about her. She is very... forward." When he said forward, his voice became darker. It was easy to see that he didn't enjoy being with her very much.

"No problem," I breathed. We stayed like that until right before Irina came back in the door. He must have heard her coming because he slid right back to how he was before she left.

"Good news!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"What?" asked Laurent.

"I just talked to Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar. You can come stay in Denali with us! Isn't that great?" she asked. I assumed the people she was talking about were the others that lived in Alaska with her. I never heard much about them, only that they were vegetarians too.

Laurent looked at me, trying to figure out an answer from my expression. It was blank. "Okay, we'll stay with you. It's like more help with Victoria, yes?"

I nodded, still a little too blurry-eyed to speak. Laurent sounded reluctant when he agreed, almost like he'd rather fight Victoria by himself. He didn't want to be rude, though.

"Can I take a shower before we go?" I asked. I had a feeling that I needed a bit of freshening up. I probably looked like a monster, actually.

"Do whatever you need to do," said Laurent.

"Thanks," I said, standing up. I pushed past Irina and made my way to the bathroom. I picked up a set of clothes before I went in.

I locked the door behind me. When I looked in the mirror, I realized I was right, I did look a bit like a monster. Slap some scales on me and I'd be good to go scare some innocent children.

I turned the shower on as hot as it could go. The steam cleared my head and allowed me to think about the events that had happened the past few days.

Jacob and Charlie were probably frantic. I bet they had every single person in the town of Forks looking for me. I shuddered, a sudden feeling of emptiness hitting me. I needed a family, my family. I would find a way back to them someday.

Renee was definitely going to panic. I hoped Phil would keep her somewhat in line, but I couldn't be sure. He was pretty young to be taking care of mom.

Once I was all squeaky clean, I turned off the shower and stepped out. I managed to run a brush through my hair and brush my teeth. I slipped my clothes on and was ready to go.

I got out of the bathroom and found Irina and Laurent talking to each other. They were sitting very close to each other on the couch, but the conversation did not look like a friendly one. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I had a feeling I had just walked in on an argument.

"We'll finish this conversation later," said Irina loud enough for me to hear. I pretended I didn't hear her anyway. I didn't want to get in the middle of their personal problems.

I packed all my stuff together and we were checked out of the hotel in less than ten minutes. Laurent carried my bag for me, much to Irina's dismay. I had a feeling she was jealous of me, which was totally ridiculous. She was beautiful, and not to mention a vampire. There was nothing about me for her to be jealous of. Laurent was just being friendly, that's all.

Irina got into the passenger seat, leaving me to climb into the back. Laurent hopped in the driver's side.

"How did you get here?" he asked, backing out of the parking space.

"Stole a car," she answered simply. "I wanted to see you so badly, I needed to get an extra fast car," she said. She smiled a seductive smile.

"Oh, lovely," said Laurent.

I sighed, tired of all the travel. I zoned out once Laurent and Irina started talking about the pros and cons of fast cars. I needed to be in one place for more than a day, and I needed that place to come soon. If not, I was sure to lose it entirely.

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	6. Chapter 6

When we got into Denali, Laurent slowed down considerably. We were in a more populated area, so there was less room to maneuver a vehicle that was going ninety miles-per-hour. Laurent and Irina had stopped talking. It was clear that he was becoming more and more irritated with her as the drive went on.

"Are you awake, Bella?" asked Laurent.

"Yes," I replied quietly.

"Good. We're here," he said.

I sat up, cramped from lying across the backseat. I gazed out the window. Laurent was slowly driving down a long lane lined with trees. There was snow _everywhere_, and it kind of looked like frosting. I laughed, picturing the landscape covered in frosting, but hid it behind a cough. Laurent pulled to a stop as soon as the trees ended.

I gasped. Behind the trees was the most extravagant house. The outside was made of stone, almost like a castle. It gave off that kind of castle vibe, anyway. The windows were huge, opening onto big rooms filled with chic furniture. There were at least three stories. It was the biggest house I'd ever seen. The front door was framed by a huge stone archway. On the left was a detached three-car garage. Laurent pushed a button on the garage remote he held in his hand and the door crept open.

Inside were two identical black cars. I didn't know what they were called. I had no idea how vampires could afford such nice things. It must have had to do with the endless time they had on their hands.

The car rumbled to a stop. Irina hopped out and sauntered out of the garage. Laurent opened my door for me. I got out clumsily, my entire lower body asleep.

"Ready to meet the family?" he asked. I assumed the family was the rest of the Denali clan. They were the ones that the... Cullens had lived with before they moved to Forks. I felt a pang of homesickness as I thought of the home I had abandoned.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied. Laurent put his hand on the small of my back and led me out of the garage up to the front door.

Irina had already gone in, probably before Laurent and I had even gotten out of the car.

Laurent grinned, placing his hand on the door knob. The door stood several feet taller than I did. He pushed it open. Not so much as a creak escaped.

"Oh," I sighed. The front room could fit my entire house inside it. Laurent nudged me over the threshold and closed the door behind us. The entryway had cream colored tile. There were a few steps down to get to the main floor. In the middle of the room sat an in-ground fountain. The water flowed merrily down the rocks, making soothing splashing noises in the pool at the bottom. The carpet was also cream colored, matching nicely with the black couches and end tables. A fireplace sat on one wall, it crackled comfortingly. There were various archways leading to other branches of the house.

"What do you think?" asked Laurent.

"Wow," I breathed. He laughed.

"So you are the infamous Bella?" asked a voice. It was male. A man stepped out from one of the arches.

"Eleazar!" exclaimed Laurent. "How have you been?" Laurent glided down the steps and met Eleazar in front of the fountain.

"Wonderful," said Eleazar. He had black hair, it was rather long. He was tall, almost as tall as Laurent. He stood in a way that said he was the head of the household. "Bella, come sit."

I obeyed, shuffling down the steps and plopping onto the nearest couch. Laurent sat on one side of me, Eleazar sat on the other.

"So, Bella, I'm Eleazar," he said, sticking his hand out. I shook it. His skin was hard, cold, not unusual. "I know that you are escaping from Victoria, and I can assure you that you are completely safe here." He had a strange accent.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Where are the rest of you?" asked Laurent.

"Oh, Katrina and Carmen are shopping," he said, waving his hand. "They never stop. We might have to buy a second house just to fit all their possessions." I couldn't imagine all the things they'd need to buy to fill up the house I was in, let alone another one.

"I remember when they dragged me along on one of their little outings. They called me 'bag boy' for at least a month after that," laughed Laurent. "I'm never going again, I can tell you that much."

I felt awkward sitting in between them. They were chatting like old friends, and I didn't really have any idea what they were talking about.

"How are you and Carmen getting along lately?" asked Laurent.

"Magnificently," answered Eleazar. "The other day she told me she wanted to have _another_ wedding. She just wants another dress, I bet."

"I heard that," interjected someone. The front door was open and there were two women standing in the doorway.

"Carmen, have I told you how beautiful you look today?" asked Eleazar.

Carmen dropped her bags in the entryway, not buying Eleazar's little attempt at flattery.

"I'd just like to inform you that I want another wedding because I'd get to pick out the bridesmaid's dresses, not mine," said Carmen, raising an eyebrow. Her voice was a little deeper than Irina's. It was smooth, and she had the same accent as Eleazar. I wondered where they were from.

"Spain," answered the other woman. My mouth dropped open. I remembered what... _they_ said about the one named Katrina. She was gifted like... like _he_ was. I assumed that she was Katrina.

"Oh," I murmured.

"Yes, Carmen and I are originally from Spain," said Eleazar, not phased at all by Katrina's interruption. "And if you have any other questions, please, feel free to ask."

Eleazar got up and offered me his hand. I thought for a second before taking it. I hardly knew him, but he seemed trustworthy enough. He led me to the steps.

"Bella, this is Carmen." He gestured to the one who spoke first. She had chocolate colored hair and stood almost as tall as Eleazar did. She stood with what only could be described as confidence.

"Hello, Bella," said Carmen, kissing me on both cheeks. I tried to keep the surprise off of my face. "Welcome to our home."

"This is Katrina," said Eleazar, shifting me towards the other woman.

"Call me Kate," she said.

It was quiet then. I could feel the both of them scanning me over. I felt _so_ self conscious.

"I think... I think we need to go shopping," said Carmen.

If there was one thing I did not want to do at that point, it was shopping.

"I agree," said Kate, grinning wickedly.

"Shopping? I'm coming!" exclaimed Irina, bustling in from another room. They were in the door less than five minutes and already wanted to go shopping again.

I looked to Laurent, eyes wide. He was lounging on the couch. He frowned apologetically, and I realized there was nothing he could say to change their minds. I sighed.

Carmen took one of my hands, Kate took the other. They led me out of the house without another word. There was not a thing I could do to escape my shopping trip. Let the torture begin.

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	7. Chapter 7

**I suck! Hope you like this update. Sorry it took so long :)**

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After two hours at the small, but upscale mall, something occurred to me. I couldn't believe that I didn't think about it before.

"Kate?" I asked. Kate, Irina, and Carmen were browsing racks and racks of clothes at some high end store I didn't recognize. They'd already spent so much money on me, even after my wild protests. Carmen and Irina excused themselves and skipped off to a different store, leaving me with Kate.

"Hmm?" she hummed. She pulled out a shirt and held it up to me. She threw it over her arm.

"How can you read my mind?" _He_ couldn't do it. It was a wonder to me that she could. I thought that my mind was safe from all eyes and ears, vampire ones included. I liked the privacy.

"Well, I don't exactly know. Your mind is certainly different from other ones I've read. It was... fuzzy, for lack of a better term. I had to strain, something that I've never had to do before. But I can read it, fuzzy or not," she explained, not taking her eyes off the clothes in front of her.

"Oh," I murmured. I wasn't comfortable enough with her to hold a conversation quite yet. I was aching to get back to the house. Believe it or not, I had gotten a little attached to Laurent. I had only been with him for a short time, too. That was the part that scared me. If I could get attached to him in just a few days, I couldn't imagine what a few weeks could do.

"Don't be scared, honey," said Kate absentmindedly. I jumped. I would have to get used to the whole mind reading thing. "Stay here, I'll be back in a second."

My heart sped up. I didn't want to be left alone, not at all. My breathing became labored. She looked at my panicked expression and let me go with her to pay for the clothes she had in her hands.

The minutes ticked by slowly. Finally, after three grueling hours of shopping, we got back to the house. I tried not to stomp to the front door, but I was having some trouble. I opened the door onto Laurent and Eleazar having a discussion on the couch.

"How was the shopping?" asked Laurent, trying to keep a straight face. He knew I was irritated. He just wanted to push my buttons.

"Oh, it was just plain lovely!" I exclaimed. I hoped he could hear the sarcasm.

He patted the couch next to him. I plopped down reluctantly, wondering why in the world I wanted to see Laurent again in the first place.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I would have saved you, but I didn't want to get between the girls and their shopping. I did it once... lets just say I'm surprised I can still walk," said Eleazar, grinning.

The door opened and the three girls piled in. Kate was telling them a story.

"Bags are in the car," she said before getting right back into her story. She exited the room, Irina and Carmen in tow.

Laurent and Eleazar sighed. "We are so whipped," sighed Laurent. They left for the car without another word.

I burst into laughter. Partially because I was left alone, something I was beginning to get very anxious about, and partially because I never would have thought that Laurent would use the term "whipped". The guys were back around thirty seconds later, I was still laughing. Laurent looked at at me questioningly.

"Whipped," I breathed, holding my side. It wasn't that funny, really, but I was having a hard time keeping the occasional giggle from escaping. "What time is it?" I asked, changing the subject to something that certainly wouldn't make me giggle slightly hysterically. I needed sleep. Sleep always made me feel better... and a little less crazy.

"It's nine," answered Laurent.

My stomach growled, cutting off my response.

"Hungry?" asked Laurent.

I nodded.

"I'm going to go find the girls," said Eleazar, politely excusing himself.

Laurent led me down one of the hallways. We popped out in a huge kitchen. There was a large stone island right in the middle of the room. Tall chairs lined the length of it. Laurent grabbed my hand and led me to one of them. His touch shocked me. I wasn't expecting him to take my hand.

He went to the other side of the island and put his chin in his hands. "What do you feel like eating?" he asked.

"Can you cook?"

"I'm French," he answered, raising an eyebrow.

"A grilled cheese would be nice," I suggested.

Fine minutes later, I was enjoying a nice hot sandwich.

"How's it taste?"

"It's _okay_," I said, teasing him.

"Okay? That is much better than _okay!_ You might as well admit it's the best tasting thing you've ever had the pleasure to eat." He sat on the chair next to mine.

"Alright, it's pretty good. Not the best, but right up there. Happy?"

"I guess that'll have to do," he smiled.

It was silent as I ate. He looked like he wanted to ask me something, that much was clear. He had the same preoccupied expression on his face as he walked me to the room I was to be sleeping in.

"Your clothes are in the closet," he said. I opened the door and all the clothes were neatly folded or hanging in the closet. I picked out a pair of pajamas. They looked a little too... well, sexy for my taste. I wasn't the one who picked them out, after all. Stupid shopping trip...

The adjoining bathroom was decorated in various shades of red. I made Laurent promise to wait in my room. I would already be alone enough in the bathroom. I took a quick shower and got dressed.

Laurent was sitting in the chair in the corner when I got out. I noticed his eyes rake over me, but I pretended not to. It meant nothing, obviously. Something was bothering him. I sat on the bed, facing him.

"What's wrong?"

He looked at me as if he just realized I was there. "Nothing," he said, smiling. It was obvious it was a fake smile. "Do you want me to leave so you can get some sleep?"

"No!" I blurted.

He looked surprised. "Alright," he answered. "What would you like me to do?"

I hesitated. What exactly _did_ I want him to do, sit there? "Please, just don't leave," I whispered.

I got under the covers and huddled up. It was _cold_ in Alaska. I shivered.

Laurent didn't make any noise. It was so quiet and dark I didn't know if he was even sitting there still. "Laurent?" I whispered.

"Yes, Bella?" said his voice from the darkness.

"Just checking," I sighed.

"Is there something I can do for you?" His voice was touched by a tenderness I'd never heard from him before. It confused me.

"It would... it would be nice if you could lie by me. You don't have to if you don't want to, it would just make me feel a little bett-"

He was in the bed before I had a chance to finish my sentence. "Thanks," I murmured. His arm found its way around my waist, but I didn't find it as uncomfortable as I probably should have. He pulled me close to him.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much," I sighed.

As I was drifting off, I realized that I was in bed... with Laurent. Laurent, the one who had paired up with James and Victoria. The strange thing was, it didn't feel wrong or awkward, it was just comfortable. I knew that there wouldn't be any meaning to the gesture, I just needed someone to be with. I liked to think he wanted to make me happy, and that was probably the only reason he agreed to stay with me. There were no feelings between us... were there?

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	8. Chapter 8

**:)**

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"Silly Girl," laughed the redhead. It was Victoria. Her clothes were ratted, her hair was a mess. We were in a clearing... it was the meadow. Victoria stood at one end, I stood at the other. She stalked toward me. Her catlike gait was intimidating, to say the least. She looked like she could shift into a crouch at the drop of a hat.

"No," I breathed. I took a step back. It wasn't time for me to die. I had people that said they would protect me... people who said they would keep me safe at all costs.

"Did you really think you could get away from me? Did you honestly think that I wouldn't find you? Be honest with yourself, Bella. I have much more strength than you give me credit for." She smiled, showing all of her teeth. If she had more strength than I gave her credit for, I really did not want to cross her. It was too late for that, though. I'd crossed her a _long, long_ time ago, and there was no going back. She was only seconds from tearing open my neck and killing me right there. It was not something I was looking forward to.

She stopped and looked at me hungrily. I was there, the one she had hunted so feverishly. All of her working had come to this moment, this minute. She wanted to relish the feeling of success. Her eyes probed into mine, looking into the very depths of me. It was her unwavering glare that disturbed me the most. I knew she was not going to let me die pain free... it was going to hurt. I'd wager that it was going to hurt quite a bit, actually.

She appeared in front of me a second later. "Bella," she said, smiling her twisted smile. She circled around me. She lunged for my neck.

"Bella!" exclaimed Laurent.

My eyes shot open. A dream, it was just a dream. I shuddered, tears pooling in my eyes. It was so vivid. I could clearly remember the breeze against my face, the smell of the rain in the trees. How could I forget the look of pure hate in Victoria's eyes?

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked. He was still next to me, sitting up. It was dark outside, despite the time on the clock, which read eight in the morning.

I took long, deep breaths. I couldn't answer. The dream... it had seemed so real. Nightmares had their way of digging into my mind, disturbing me right into consciousness.

"Why weren't you there?" I breathed.

"Where? Where wasn't I?" he asked, alarmed. He probably thought I was going crazy.

"She almost had me, Laurent!" I said, trying not to yell.

He looked puzzled. "Please, don't leave me alone with her anymore," I whispered.

He held out his arms for an embrace. I accepted. I needed to be comforted at the moment. He shifted me onto his lap. I put my head on his shoulder.

"I won't leave you," he said into my hair.

I had the same dream every night for a week. Laurent would be there every time I woke up, arms ready to scoop me up. After the few minutes of comfort, the day would go on as usual. The rest of the clan never mentioned it, although I'm sure there were rumors swirling around about the two of us.

A week and a half after my arrival to the house, Irina approached me in the living room. She had a look of determination on her face. Laurent and Eleazar were out buying food for me, something they looked at as sort of a game. They liked looking at all the strange people food. They would bring something bizarre back each time. Once they came back with a bag full of bacon flavored potato chips... those were still safe in the pantry.

"We need to have a talk," said Irina. She walked away, down the hallway that lead to my bedroom. I followed quickly. I was sure to lose myself if I wasn't careful. I had quite the tendency to get lost. I was still learning all the strange twists and turns of the house. It was like a maze. She got to my room, let me in, and closed the door behind us.

I plopped into the chair in the corner. She stood facing me, her hands on her hips. She sighed. "Okay, I know what has been happening between you and Laurent."

"It's nothing! I just have trouble sleeping sometimes," I said, quickly defending what Laurent and I were doing. He was just comforting, that was all.

"He doesn't think it's 'just nothing', Bella," said Irina, staring at me critically.

"What does he think it is?" I asked.

She sighed impatiently. "Think about it. You wake up every night, he holds you, tells you he will never leave you... catch my drift?"

My mouth popped open. "Oh," I breathed.

"Yeah. I don't approve," she said.

"I'm... sorry?" I didn't know what I could do about it. Why did it matter if she approved of not? It wasn't like she owned Laurent.

"I don't approve, but I'm willing to..." She sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm willing to give him up to you. He looks at you differently than he looks at me."

I thought she was being a little dramatic. From what I had heard of her, she was sort of a... well, a tramp. I knew she had quite a few little man candies at her disposal.

I was about to reply when the door opened. "Thanks for that," said Laurent, glaring daggers at Irina. He had heard what she said.

"I'm just letting her know the truth," Irina said, shrugging.

"I'll have whoever I want to have. Frankly, my dear, you have no power to 'give me up' to Bella. I have my own life, Irina," he said sharply. "Now I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the room."

Irina sauntered out of the room, but not before giving Laurent a nice big death stare. He just smiled. When she left, he sat on the bed.

"Get anything good?" I asked.

"It's so strange. There were these little pizza flavored things, but they were in a roll shape!" he exclaimed. He got so worked up over the funniest things. Like those bacon chips...

"Pizza rolls?"

"Yes. They didn't look very good, to be honest. Eleazar said that humans like that kind of thing, though, so we bought them. We also got some stuff that I can whip up into a tasty meal for you pretty quick," he said.

It got quiet. I didn't know what to say after that. The tension in the room was high. We both knew there was an important conversation coming up.

"Look, Bella," he started.

"It's okay. You can tell me that Irina was lying. I'll try not to be too broken up about it," I joked.

He didn't smile, though. There was no humor in his expression. "Who said she was lying?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well... I assumed _you_ would say she was lying. She obviously was saying all those things just to make me... Well, I don't know why she would say it, but it's not the truth," I said. It was impossible. Laurent couldn't see me as anything more than a burden.

"Bella, she was not lying," he sighed. He looked into my eyes, awaiting a reaction.

He looked so vulnerable sitting there. I had never seen him with so many of his defenses down. He sat, hands in his lap, just looking at me. At that point, I was past thinking. I got out of the chair, moved to the bed, and sat on his lap.

He was startled, to say the least. He didn't expect that kind of reaction out of me. Much to his... and my surprise, I placed a kiss right on his lips. He was still at first, not quite sure what to do next. Soon, his lips started to move with mine. His arms wrapped around my waist. He pulled me closer, but he was trying to restrain himself from doing something that would hurt me, I could tell by his tense posture and movements.

I pulled away and looked him in the eyes. They were bright, excited... hungry. I began to rethink my spontaneous urge to kiss him. I had forgotten that he was less controlled than... _they_ were. My heart began to beat faster in my chest.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my _God,_ an update. Feel free to verbally abuse me. I deserve it :)**

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"Laurent?" I asked. His eyes were closed. He wasn't breathing. I was still on his lap, and his arms that were securely twined around me made it impossible to move. I needed to get off of him as soon as possible. A thirsty vampire was not always the best thing to have around.

I didn't know what had possessed me to kiss a vampire that occasionally ate a person or two. He said it himself, he had accidents sometimes. I didn't want to be his next accident. I tried to move as little as possible. After he opened his eyes, it was still awhile before he spoke.

"Why did you do that?" he breathed.

"I... I don't exactly know," I answered honestly.

"By telling you how I feel, I didn't want to make you feel obligated to do anything, Bella. Those are just my silly feelings You don't _have_ to do anything," he explained.

_Obligated_? I didn't feel obligated to do anything. I kissed him because... because I wanted to. He had been so kind to me, after all. After Edward – I could think the name now – left, I didn't think that I could ever, _ever_ kiss another person. It scared me a little bit that it was instinct that guided me. I just needed to kiss him.

"I didn't do it because I felt obligated," I said. I was still confused, but I just _knew_ I didn't do it just because he wanted me to.

"Why then?" he whispered.

"I just don't know," I repeated.

"It's funny," he mused. "I'd never thought of you humans as anything more than... well, snack. Not that I think that of them now, but it's interesting. I can see why sometimes our kind can be attracted to you." He lifted my chin with his finger and looked into my eyes. "Yes, I can see why it happens."

"Laurent?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I don't exactly know what it does to you to be this close to me. Do you need to hunt?" I didn't want him to lose control. I imagined it would be pretty painful.

"Actually, I think I might have to. You _have_ made me rather thirsty. Has anyone ever told you how good you smell?" he asked. "It's mind numbingly delicious." He grinned.

I smiled wryly. "I've heard it once or twice.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said. He sat me on the bed, kissed my forehead, and was gone.

As soon as he left, I felt abandoned. I didn't like being alone. In fact, I avoided it whenever I could. Being with people other than Laurent was okay, but I felt the safest when I was around him. The others worked, but Laurent was just the best. It was probably because he was the one who save Forks and me from Victoria. I'd always feel somewhat safe with him.

I stayed alone for as long as I could, but I eventually made my way to the kitchen. I hoped someone was in there. I was hungry.

As I walked in, I heard an, "ow ow!" It was Eleazar.

"Oh, shut up," I sighed. I thought that the Denali clan would be all proper and polite, much like Carlisle. Eleazar was as much a guy as Emmett was, he just happened to say wise things every once in awhile. He was either making me laugh hysterically, or making me so annoyed that I needed to leave the room.

Eleazar was sitting in one of the chairs at the island. I opened the fridge and searched for something to eat.

"How was it?" he asked.

That was the thing about living with vampires, no privacy.

"I don't think that's _any_ of your business," I replied curtly. I pulled out all the makings of a sandwich out of the fridge.

"Everything that happens here is everyone's business," he countered.

I sighed. "It was good, okay? Happy now?"

He grinned smugly. "It's so easy to get things out of you."

"How does it feel to take advantage of an innocent girl, Eleazar. I mean, just because it's easy to get information out of me, doesn't mean that you should," I said. I finished making my sandwich and sat in the chair beside him.

"I find it knee-slappingly hilarious, easy as pie, and quite entertaining, actually," he answered. He folded his hands under his chin and watched me intently.

I began to feel self conscious. "Is there something on my face?" I asked nervously.

"No, it's just funny to watch people eat food."

"You must be a riot at parties," I said sarcastically.

"Actually, you would be surprised," said a voice from the doorway. It was Laurent, back from his hunting trip much earlier than I thought he would be.

Eleazar grinned at me smugly. I was expecting him to start making kissy faces and making fun of us like a five-year-old would.

"How was your trip?" I asked, ignoring Eleazar's attempts at embarrassment.

"It was... good," he replied. "Eleazar, can I talk to you?"

They didn't even leave the room. They talked to each other so fast, I hardly even had a hope of hearing. Their words blurred together into a nearly silent hum. I was glad they didn't leave the room. I still didn't want to be alone. Even being separated by a wall was a little too much for me.

When they finished, even Eleazar looked shaken.

"What's wrong?" I asked, putting my plate in the sink.

Laurent looked at me, indecision clear in his eyes. "Bella, I don't want to scare you," he said slowly.

My legs went weak. "It's Victoria, right? She's here and she's ready to get me. Please don't get yourselves hurt, please!" I pleaded. I gripped the edge of the counter tightly.

"Bella, Bella, calm down. _Calm down_," urged Laurent. He was at my side in an instant. "It's not Victoria. It's... something else."

"What else is there? Go get it, you can do it. Just get it, and then we don't have to worry anymore," I ranted. I was close to collapsing.

Laurent wrapped his arms around my waist, keeping me balanced for the time being. "We can't... exactly do that."

"_Why?_" I breathed.

"There are things out there that have the power to destroy us, Bella. That _isn't _Victoria running around out there. It's a pack of werewolves."

"Werewolves?" I asked skeptically. "Next you'll be telling me that a dragon lives in the next town over. Oh, and don't forget those mermaids that live in the lake."

"Bella, I'm being serious. We need to get you out of here. You know, just in case they come looking for us. We don't need you here if it comes down to a fight. We're just going to go on a little extended vacation."

"To where?" I asked.

"Carmen and I have a house back in Spain. You and Laurent will stay there while we sort things out here. It's just a safety precaution, Bella. Please understand," said Eleazar. His joking manner from minutes ago had vanished.

"Okay," I breathed. "When are we leaving?"

"Fifteen minutes," answered Laurent.

I had no idea how vampires came up with plans so quickly, but it was starting to look like a very handy thing.

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	10. Chapter 10

**I really love this story...**

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I was bouncing up and down in my seat after the plane took off. I had never been to Spain, or another country for that matter, and, despite the whole running away from werewolves thing, I was excited.

"Relax, Bella," laughed Laurent. He'd gotten us first-class tickets at very short notice. I knew they had to be expensive, and that embarrassed me a bit. The seats were large, comfortable, and warm.

"Sorry. I've never been... well, anywhere really. I'm just looking forward to it," I explained. I did try to stop fidgeting, though, and I settled for twiddling my thumbs.

"Really? That's so strange." He was looking at me curiously.

"It's not so strange," I said defensively. "Lots of people haven't left the country." I switched my gaze out the window, slightly offended by what he said.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," he said. He took my hand and held it in his ice cold fingers. It reminded me of what had happened earlier that morning.

"Laurent, can we talk about what happened today?" I asked skeptically. I was never really comfortable with discussing my feelings, so I hoped that he would say yes while I was feeling oddly confident.

"We can talk about whatever you want," answered Laurent.

"Laurent... I don't know if I'm able to have a relationship with you. There are things that you don't know, and they would ruin it for you." I didn't look at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He took my chin in his hand gently, and tilted my face so I could look at him.

"When Edward left, he took almost all of me with him. It… it hurts to think about him, about what we used to be. If I were to be with you, you'd only be getting the little sliver of me that he left behind. I'm capable of so much more than I'd be able to give you. I'm... _broken_ on the inside. I'm sorry," I breathed. My heart started to ache, and I felt tears welling in my eyes. It didn't seem like a reality until I spoke it out loud.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous," whispered Laurent.

"You deserve so much better than me."

"I disagree with you. I'll take whatever I can get of you, Bella. I understand if you don't want a relationship. That makes perfect sense. But please don't shoot down the idea because you think I deserve better. If anything, you deserve much better than me."

"Please, Laurent. Don't give me that whole speech. I don't need you to lie to me," I sighed.

"I am being entirely truthful!" exclaimed Laurent, laughing loudly. "I find it simply absurd that you think of yourself the way you do. If what you say about the... amount of your heart that's left to be invested in an intimate relationship is true, I'll accept any more that comes my way as a bonus. I like you for who you are now, and I do wish you could see that. I'll wait for you, just tell me when you're ready."

His hold on my hand got tighter as his speech went on.

"Ow," I gasped just after he finished talking.

"Sorry!" He dropped my hand like a hot potato, and scooted a little farther away from me.

"It's okay," I replied, ignoring the slight throbbing in my fingers. I didn't want him to stop holding my hand, but he refused to touch me for the rest of the flight.

When we landed, he did lead me out of the plane with his hand resting lightly on my lower back. It seemed like he did it absentmindedly, almost like a habit. I enjoyed the thought.

He was being unusually quiet, something exceptionally rare for Laurent. It was bothering me. Laurent was perfectly capable of keeping any conversation going if he wanted to. Even after renting the car, Laurent was silent.

Instead of starting the conversation, I had a chance to look at where I was. It was much more mountainous that I thought Spain actually was. Laurent's impeccable driving skill was the only thing keeping my heart rate under control. We'd not passed another car on the road for quite some time, and I had a feeling that the place Laurent was taking me was not around a very populated area.

Finally I got fed up with the silence. It'd been hours since we spoke, and I honestly didn't know exactly what I did.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

He stared ahead, a slight frown on his face. He gripped the wheel tighter. Just when I thought I'd have to ask again, he spoke. "Sometimes I forget how fragile you are," he answered.

"That's what you've been ignoring me about? If I get hurt it's my fault. I know that having vampires around is a risk, and I still do it like the crazy person I am. I could care less, really," I explained.

He looked at me and smiled slightly. "You are pretty crazy."

"I know it," I laughed. I was going to say more, but my stomach growled loudly. I blushed.

"Crazy _and_ hungry," said Laurent. "It's a good thing we're almost there."

I looked out the window once again. It didn't look like we were almost anywhere. Vampires sure did like to live out in the middle of nowhere.

I put my head against the glass, and was surprised to feel that it wasn't cold at all, like the mountain environment had made me think it would have been. Sure, there was no snow on the ground, but I'd always associated mountains with cold in my mind. It was warm, and I smiled slightly. I'd always loved the warm weather.

"Bella, look to the left," said Laurent.

I reluctantly removed my cheek from the car window to do what he told me to. As soon as I looked, I was glad I did. It seemed that just as he rounded that last bend, the land stretched out until it ended in a sandy white beach. The water was crystal clear, I could see it even from the distance I was at.

Sitting right on the edge of the sand was a house so magnificently large, I knew I'd never be able to find my way around. It wasn't just an imitation of a castle, like the house in Denali, it was a real castle. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the shimmering water.

"Wow," I breathed.

"That's where we'll be staying while the little wolf problem is dealt with," said Laurent, smiling at my reaction. He turned off the road, and drove down a long lane to get to the castle entrance.

"I'm not going to lie, this place looks kind of... intimidating," I admitted. The closer we got, the bigger it looked. Laurent pulled to a stop in front of the strikingly tall front door.

He looked at me skeptically. "Like I would let you get lost." He left the car before letting me respond.

He already had my bag in-hand when I got out. "I could give you a tour, but I'll feed you first."

"Thanks," I said, putting my hand on my stomach. I could feel it rumbling.

He opened the door onto an absolutely massive front hall. I looked up to the ceiling and almost fell backwards. There was a staircase on each side of the room, leading to a second floor balcony. The walls were painted cream, and the tile was deep red. It was an interesting choice, to say the least.

I looked to the left to tell Laurent what I thought of the inside, but he wasn't there beside me. My heart skipped a beat. He left me alone, and he knew how anxious that made.

"Laurent!" I yelled. I was sure he could hear me, no matter how large the house was.

I waited another second before calling again. Before I even finished his name, he was standing next to me.

"Where were you?" I gasped.

"I just went to put your bags down in your room," he said. He must've seen the anxiety in my eyes, for he continued. "I'm sorry I made you anxious."

I sighed. So far, this giant castle house was already proving to scare me. "Will you... will you promise not to leave me?" I asked. "I don't like being alone."

"I know, Bella. I'm terribly sorry. I won't leave you."

I knew he meant it.


	11. Chapter 11

"Did you enjoy?" asked Laurent, gesturing to the empty bowl in front of me. He watched me like a hawk while I devoured the food he placed in front of me and was quiet the entire time.

"It was amazing, obviously," I laughed. Laurent was a phenomenal cook, and he certainly knew it. His food did make me tired, though. It was the type of food that fills you up just enough to make you want to take a nice nap.

"Good! Ready for your tour?" He grabbed the dish and deposited it in the sink. I could see where Eleazar and Carmen got the idea for the kitchen in Denali. The one at their castle looked exactly the same, only on a much, much larger scale.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I answered. He took my hand and led me from the kitchen to the front room. Every place I'd been so far was tiled in the blood red stone. I didn't know why. It seemed that if you were a "vegetarian", you'd want to be as far away from any reminders of blood at all. It struck me as odd, to say the least.

Laurent pulled me up one of the massive staircases. At the top, a large hallway stretched out to me left and my right. He towed me down the right hall.

"Wow," I yawned. I blushed. He wasn't boring; I was just a little tired.

Laurent grinned, and squeezed my hand playfully. "This is where Carmen and Eleazar come to get away from the clan. They like having their private time. Living with others does get rather hard sometimes."

By then we'd reached the end of the hall. He opened the door a crack, but looked at me before he let me in. "I am assuming that you want me to stay with you while you sleep, correct?"

"Yes," I answered immediately. There was no way I'd let him leave me now that we were in a big, creepy castle. It was only after that I noticed how eager I sounded. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. My gaze fell to the red floor.

"Just making sure," he said as he pushed the door wide open.

When I looked up, my jaw dropped. I could fit my entire house in the one bedroom. I stepped in slowly. The walls were curved, like the room was a sphere instead of a cube. The usual cream walls were draped in elegant tapestries in colors that matched the floor. Windows started at the floor and extended up the majority of the wall. To the left, two doorways led to what I guessed was a bathroom and a closet. The ceiling was much higher up than it should have been. I didn't want to look up, it made me a little too dizzy.

Pushed against the far wall was the biggest bed I'd ever seen. It was ridiculously huge, and I felt embarrassed just looking at it. I didn't know why anyone would need a bed that big, especially when the people who owned it didn't have to sleep.

"This is the master bedroom. You look quite tired, so I decided to show it to you first. You can go to sleep if you would like."

Sleep sounded did sound pretty good at the moment. "I think I'll sleep, actually."

"I'll call Eleazar while you change out of your travel clothes," said Laurent, gesturing to the bag sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Will you tell me what you guys talk about?" I asked anxiously.

"Of course," answered Laurent.

I grabbed my bag off of the bed and stepped into the bathroom. I flicked on the light and was very unsurprised by the red tiling on the floor. The shower, tub, cabinets, and counters were all black. I shook my head, laughing to myself. Carmen and Eleazar had strange tastes in decor.

I decided to take a shower, just to get totally refreshed. I hated feeling grimy, and the traveling certainly made me feel that way.

After I washed my hair, I closed my eyes and let the water wash over my face. It was just weeks ago that I was at my house, spending my days without Jake worrying, and my days with him forgetting about the days without him. I missed Jake terribly, and I hated not seeing him. Laurent was the only person keeping me from breaking down completely.

I sighed deeply. Thinking about Jake would just make me miss him more. I opened my eyes, and screamed. A big, fat spider was hanging down right in front of my face. He was just out of the reach of the water.

"Bella?" asked Laurent from outside the shower door. He sounded incredibly anxious. "Are you okay?"

"Spider! Towel!" I gasped. I'd never needed to tell anyone about my absolute hatred of spiders. It wasn't all that often that I happened upon one, but when I did, there was no stopping my immediate freak out reaction.

Laurent opened the shower door the tiniest bit, a towel in hand. I snatched it from him and wrapped it around myself. I got out of that shower as soon as I could. I didn't care who saw. I left the shower running, much to chicken to reach around the spider to turn it off.

As soon as I got out, I turned to Laurent. He was looking at me with the most confused look on his face. "What was that?"

"There's a spider in there!" I squeaked.

He cocked an eyebrow and brushed past me to the shower. He was back in front of me just a second later. "There's no more spider in there," he laughed.

"It's not funny," I said, turning away from him. "And if you could leave so I could get dressed, well, that'd be just great."

He was still chuckling as he slipped out the door. I silently cursed all the spiders in the world as I pulled on my jammies. I could have kept that hidden for quite some time if it weren't for stupid Spain spider.

As soon as I was done, I exited the bathroom and climbed onto the unusually sized bed. I actually had to climb. I burrowed under the covers and yawned loudly. While I was in the shower, Laurent must have closed the curtains, for the room was almost pitch black. I waited for a second for Laurent to lie beside me.

I didn't have to wait long. Soon, his ram wound its way around my waist. I turned away from him, so he wouldn't be able to see my face. "Sorry about making you anxious with the spider," I murmured.

"You don't have to apologize. It was my pleasure," he replied.

"What did Eleazar say?" I asked, changing the subject as soon as I could. I didn't want to be rude, but even talking about spiders gave me a little bit of a fright.

"He said that as soon as we left, the werewolves went home. They just seemed not to be interested anymore," answered Laurent.

"Where did they go?" I asked.

Laurent paused, and I felt his grip on my waist tighten slightly. I didn't push it, though. I knew he'd tell me.

"They went to a little town right outside of Forks. It's called La Push," he said slowly.

I couldn't breathe. "That's where... oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no!" I sat straight up.

"Bella, it's okay. Irina is watching them, she'll tell us if anything happens. Don't worry," he said.

I lowered myself back down, but my heart didn't stop beating for quite sometime. When I finally did fall asleep, I had one of the shortest dreams I ever had.

Jacob was sitting on a salt-bleached log on the beach. He was younger looking, and certainly more awkward. I was sitting next to him.

"Your people call them werewolves," he whispered.

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	12. Chapter 12

"Jake!" I exclaimed, sitting up straight. I woke up out of a dead sleep. _Jake_ was a werewolf. He was one of the ones in Denali, I knew it.

"Bella?" I could see Laurent's pale profile beside me.

"Jake is one of the werewolves!" I ran my hands through my hair. "He's looking for me!"

"Bella, calm down." Laurent put an arm around me.

"They're going to keep looking! They'll find out about you, about where you live. They'll think you kidnapped me! They have to get out of Denali," I ranted.

Laurent got up and turned on the light. He reached in his pocket and brought out his cell phone. I watched closely as he dialed the Eleazar's number.

"Eleazar, Bella knows the wolves. What has happened?" asked Laurent. He paused while Eleazar answered. I held my breath.

"Yes, I'll be sure to tell her. Bye." Laurent snapped the phone shut, turned the light back off, and came over to sit next to me again.

"What is it?" I asked quickly.

"He says that the wolves left, and there aren't any signs that they are returning. He says you shouldn't worry about him or the family."

I sighed. I missed Jacob severely. The edges of the hole, which I had not noticed since I had been with Laurent, were starting to burn in my chest.

"Tell me what you need," said Laurent.

"Can I use your phone?"

Laurent looked at me, an eyebrow cocked. He handed the phone over.

I dialed Jacob's number. I hoped that he was the one who would answer. I didn't know what I'd do if it was Billy.

It rang twice. "Hello?" asked Jacob.

"Jake," I breathed. I missed him more than I thought. When he said hello, I started to shake.

"Wait, Bella? Bella!" yelled Jacob.

"Yes, yes it's me."

"Where are you! Are you safe? Who has you? Can you say? Are you being held against your will?" The questions came out in what seemed like one breath.

I paused, still processing the sound of his voice. It had been ages since I had been able to hear him speak. He was my best friend, and when I was without him, I felt incomplete. He was the sun in my life when it seemed like there was only darkness.

"I'm fine, Jake. But... I have a question."

"Bella, you need to tell me where you are. Once I see you, we can talk about everything. Please, just tell me where you are. We'll go and get you, no matter how far you are." The pleading note in his voice made me tear up.

"No, Jacob. I didn't call to tell you where I was."

"Bella!"

"No, I'm sorry. I just need to tell you that I know what you are, and that you need to stay away from Denali," I explained.

"You... you know what I am?"

"Yes... Remember that story you told me on the beach, way back when I first met you? You told me then, only you didn't know it. You thought it was all nonsense. It's not, is it? You're a werewolf."

"I am," he whispered. "But how did you know?"

"I just do. I need you to know that I am very safe. I am with friends, and they are taking very good care of me, okay?"

"The _Cullens_," he snarled.

"No, Jacob," I said, the same amount venom in my voice that was in his.

"_Who?_"

"Friends. Please do not worry about me. I left because it was unsafe for everyone if I was in Forks. Don't tell Charlie I called." I felt a lump rising in my throat. "I don't want to worry him anymore than I already have."

"Do you know what he thinks, Bella? Do you know what he's gone through?"

"Jake, please," I whimpered.

"He thinks you're _dead_, Bella!" cried Jake. "He thinks you're dead!"

The tears that had been building in my eyes spilled over. My voice shook as I spoke. "Just tell him I'm okay if you think it's best. I love you Jacob."

"Love you, Bella." I heard his voice shake, too.

"Bye," I whispered.

"Bye."

I snapped the phone shut.

Laurent's arms were open and ready when I dropped the phone. I buried my face into his shoulder and cried. I loathed Victoria for making me leave my home. I wasn't happy there, but I was getting close. My days were bearable, anyway. I saw Jacob every single day, and he was the one person that made me happy.

Laurent kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"It's not your fault I'm a danger magnet," I sighed.

The phone buzzed on the comforter, and Laurent answered it.

"Yes, Eleazar?"

The conversation that followed was very brief. It was over in seconds.

"What?" I whispered.

"The Cullens contacted Eleazar," he answered.

My heart thumped in my chest. I felt like I was going to throw up. A sob stuck in my throat.

"What did they say?" I croaked.

"The small one, Alice, wanted to know where you were. She did a run by Forks and saw you weren't there, so she checked up on you. She saw you on a plane with me... it startled her, to say the least," he explained.

"And?" I managed to gasp.

"Eleazar told her that you and I were just taking a vacation. He didn't let her know about Victoria. He feels that she is our problem now, and he can be very defensive. He doesn't think he needs help, and he would never ask for it. She was shocked when she heard about where we were at first, and didn't really believe him, but she accepted it. She left after that, knowing you were safe with me. Eleazar assured her that I was of no threat to you." The way he said the last sentence, with a little bit of resentment, confused me.

"What?" I asked.

"He... he told her that we kissed," answered Laurent reluctantly.

"He what?" I screamed. "Then Edward will get what he wants! He wanted me to move on, and I just haven't!"

I pushed Laurent away and buried myself in the sheets. It was his fault, all of it. He was the one who took me away from Jacob, he was the one who made Charlie worry, he was the one who made Edward believe I had moved on.

"Bella, please," murmured Laurent. I could hear that he was hurt. "You can't tell me you still love him with all of your heart. I was thinking that, just maybe, there was a piece of it for me."

I sighed. The time I spent with Laurent _was_ enjoyable. It distracted me from all of the other things that were threatening to squash me. He was charming, polite, fun to be around, handsome... almost perfect. He made me forget the things that I wanted to.

"There is a part," I whispered. "I'm sorry I made you feel bad."

He scooped me into his arms. "It's okay, Bella."

"Laurent... I," I stuttered. My cheeks flushed bright red, and I hid my face in his chest.

Laurent tilted my chin up with his finger. His eyes peered into mine, searching for any hint of uncertainty. There wasn't any.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him. He pushed me lightly onto the mattress and climbed on top of me. This time, his lips came down on mine, with a little more force than last time. I wrapped my fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. With each kiss, I felt a little more whole. Laurent was a new part of me, a part I never wanted to lose. I knew that _he_ wouldn't leave me.

"I love you, Bella," Laurent whispered between kisses.

"I... I love you, too," I replied back. The loud thumping of my heart in my chest proved it.

I was caught off guard when Laurent froze.

"What is it?" I breathed.

"A Cullen," he answered.

* * *

**Ahmm.... I don't really have an excuse for the long wait... so I will not even give one! **

**Review? :D**


	13. Chapter 13

"What?" I gasped. "A Cullen?"

Laurent was still frozen as the door to the bedroom flung open, and the lights flipped on.

"Get off of her!" yelled "the Cullen".

It wasn't the one I expected. It wasn't Alice, who had gone to check up on me in the first place. It wasn't Esme, Rosalie, Carlisle, Jasper, or even Emmett. It was _him_, the one that had left me. It was Edward.

His bronze hair was unkempt, like he had been running for a long amount of time. His eyes were much closer to black than to gold. His clothes were perfect, as was everything else about him. My memory had failed to capture him at all. It was like comparing the scribbles of a five year old to the work of Picasso. He was even more devastatingly beautiful than I remembered.

"Listen, it's not like sh-" started Laurent. He moved from his rather intimate position on top of me, to stand on the floor beside the bed.

Edward looked livid. "Like she can leave? I imagine she couldn't. You'd overpower her in a second, you monster." He was breathing hard, and his eyes were pinned to Laurent. He stalked forward.

"Edward, stop," I squeaked. I was still breathing hard from kissing Laurent.

He looked at me, and his expression actually softened.

"Bella, I can take you away from him! You don't have to worry about your safety anymore! You'll be fine with me," he said, sitting next to me on the bed. He pulled me into him. I never, ever in my life thought I'd be uncomfortable in his arms, but at that moment I was. It was the strangest feeling.

"But, I don-"

He interrupted me. "I know you don't want to be here. That's why we're going. I just need to take care of something."

He got up, and started to circle Laurent.

Laurent didn't move. He just kept his eyes glued to Edward.

"Edward, stop! I don't want to leave!" I yelled.

He stopped and looked at me. Everything in his expression read confusion. Laurent looked at me the same way.

"What?" asked Edward incredulously.

"I do not want to leave," I repeated.

Laurent started to smile.

"But... why?" Edward said.

"You left me, and Laurent won't." I kept telling myself I wasn't going to cry.

"Bella... I left for you. It was for you!" he exclaimed. "Please, Bella!"

I shook my head. He left because he didn't love me anymore. I hadn't intentionally thought of that day back in the forest since it had happened. In my dreams, however, it was a place I went often. The moment replayed in my head over and over, making the hole in my chest wider and wider.

"Edward, I just can't. I'm not going to go into the details about what if did to me when you left, not at all. You said that you had distractions, so go pursue them. I'm... I'm happy with Laurent, and I'm not going to leave him," I explained.

"You want me to leave?" His expression was heart-wrenching.

I nodded. He'd broken my heart into a million little pieces, and Laurent had picked them all up and put them back together again. He was the glue holding me together. Without him, I'd have fallen to bits in no time.

"Bella, I'm sorry I left you. I do love you, but if you want me to go, I will go. If you ever need anything, anything at all, just let us know. We'll help anytime you ever need it."

He turned to leave.

"Wait! Edward... be safe. Please, please, please be safe," I pleaded.

He nodded.

It didn't matter that I was begging myself not to cry. When Edward walked out the door, the tears poured. Laurent didn't say anything. He just sat beside me, holding me in his arms. He would occasionally kiss the top of my head, or my cheek, but that was it.

I fell asleep there, cradled in his arms. Seeing Edward was a shock. Even more shocking was the fact that I had sent him away. Before he left, the thought of telling him to go away would have seemed insane. I never wanted him to be away from me, not ever. But since Laurent had been around, I was starting to think of Edward less. I found myself spending more time thinking about what life with Laurent would be like, instead of life with Edward.

I had a dream free sleep, which I was grateful for. I didn't want to dream about anything related to Edward or Jacob.

When I woke up, I was in a more comfortable spot. I wasn't leaning against Laurent anymore. I was surrounded by pillows. I stretched before opening my eyes. I was stiff, like I had been asleep for a long period of time.

"Bella?" whispered Laurent. He grabbed my hand as soon as he realized I was awake.

"Hmm?" I replied. I pushed myself up and rubbed my eyes. Laurent was sitting on the edge of the bed.

He opened his mouth, but then closed it again. "Are you hungry?" he finally asked.

"Very hungry. I'm going to shower first, though." I probably looked a wreck. It was quite an eventful night.

"Do as you wish. I'll be in the kitchen making you breakfast." He smiled, and left me to freshen up.

After my shower, I went to the kitchen. The most delectable scent wafted into the hallway from the kitchen. I heard Laurent singing a song in French. His rich voice echoed through the house. He sounded amazing.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw the massive amount of food awaiting me. There was a massive stack of pancakes, and next to it was a plate of french toast. Laurent was at the stove, cooking up some bacon.

"Wow," I said, admiring the food.

Laurent finished a moment later. He threw together a plate for me, and then sat on the other side of the island to watch me eat.

"Enjoy," he said.

I took my seat across from him. "Thanks," I replied, starting in on the french toast. "What was that you were singing?"

He grinned. "Yves Montand."

"It was great."

"Thank you. So, Bella... Do you think the wolves will actually stay away from Denali?" he asked.

I nodded. Jake had never lied to me before, and I trusted his word more than almost anyone's. He wouldn't tell me a lie. Besides, if he did, I would be able to recognize it.

"Then we really have no reason to be here, correct?" He watched me carefully.

I didn't want to leave yet. I had only been in Spain for a day, and I hadn't even seen any of the sights. I always thought that my first time out of the country would be for more than just a day. On the drive over, I saw that Spain really was beautiful, and I didn't want to leave without seeing more of it.

"I don't want to leave," I murmured.

"I didn't think you would want to, so I arranged for us to stay here for a few more weeks." His smile was contagious.

It was short lived, though. He soon frowned, and looked down at the counter top.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Bella, I've said it before but, I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay. When Edward came, I knew that you were going to go with him. I was preparing myself for your absence from the moment I realized he was there. And then when you told him that you were going to stay with me... I felt wretched. I know that you love him much, much more than you love me, and I hate to make you feel obligated to stay with me. I want whatever you want, Bella. If you want to be with Edward, then be with Edward. I will support you every step of the way."

"Laurent, I've told you before, and I'll tell you again... I don't feel obligated to do anything. If I wanted to go with Edward, I would have gone. Without you, I'd be miserable, alone, and missing the man that had hurt me the most. I know you heard what I said last night," I explained.

"To Edward?" he asked.

"No, to you." I blushed.

"Ah," said Laurent, grinning. "I love you, too."

* * *

**Oh, how happy. Review?**


	14. Chapter 14

During the weeks that followed, Laurent and I did everything from hiking, which he promised he'd never make me do again, to just sitting in the castle and enjoying the day.

Once, three weeks after Edward showed up, Laurent and I wanted to go down to the beach. The only swimsuits available were ones that belonged to Carmen, and they were all quite skimpy. I'd never felt more exposed in my life.

I stepped out of the bathroom in my borrowed bathing suit, and couldn't help but notice Laurent look at me hungrily.

"You look wonderful," he admired.

I blushed the same color as the swimsuit, a deep crimson. I didn't take compliments well at all, and Laurent knew that.

He laughed and embraced me. "You're so funny, Bella," he breathed in my ear. He kissed my neck, my cheeks, and finally my lips.

He was always very careful when he was kissing me. I was lucky to get one kiss every two days. After awhile, I figured that he was teasing me. He seemed to have no trouble controlling himself _while_ he was kissing me, so I didn't know why he waited so long between each one.

I kissed him back as passionately as I could. Kisses were so few and far between, I decided to make this one extra special.

To my surprise, he lifted me up and set me on the bed. He climbed on top of me, playfully kissing my stomach, my forehead, my cheeks. I pulled him back to my lips, eager to pursue the direction he seemed to be heading. I slowly started to unbutton his shirt. My heart fluttered in my chest.

Before I finished unbuttoning, though, the door opened. It was Carmen and Eleazar.

I blushed even deeper than before. Laurent and I were always caught in compromising positions by people that shouldn't see them.

"I'm glad you like that suit, Bella," said Carmen, smirking.

Laurent rolled off of me, his shirt halfway unbuttoned, and looked questioningly at the two of them.

"We came to keep you company!" laughed Eleazar. "I guess we should have waited an hour or so."

"Oh, this is your house! You can come and go as you please," said Laurent, grinning slightly. I could tell he was dying to talk to Eleazar. They were like two teenage boys when they got together. They laughed at the dumbest jokes, told the silliest stories, watched _sports_, all of that guy stuff. They were best friends.

"Laurent, why don't you go tell Eleazar... guy things?" I finished lamely.

Laurent laughed again. "Good idea, Bella." The two of them left the room without another word.

"So you told your first vampire to go away for _another_ vampire?" said Carmen as soon as the door closed. She loved gossip. "You just can't get enough of us , can you?"

I shrugged.

She sat beside me on the bed. "So have you guys gotten much use out of this yet?" She patted the covers fondly.

I gaped at her. "I'm actually... no, we haven't," I stuttered.

"Bella Swan, you can't tell me you're a virgin!" she gasped. "Although, I guess Edward always was a bit on the prude side. Still, though. Haven't you and Laurent been together for quite some time now?"

I covered my face with a pillow. I was almost certain the heat radiating from my cheeks would set it on fire. I was _so_ embarrassed.

"Oh, you stop," she laughed. "I'm just teasing. You look great in that bathing suit, by the way."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

Carmen and Eleazar went swimming with us later that day. By the time we got to the beach, the sun was starting to go down. The sea glowed orange by the fading light of the sun. The water was only a little cold, and I got used to it before long.

"I'll race you," said Carmen, challenging Laurent. "Two miles out, then turn around?"

Laurent grinned slyly. "Ready... go!"

Eleazar watched them go for a minute, the turned to me.

"So, have you gotten any use out of the bed yet?"

"Your wife asked me the same question!" I exclaimed.

"Great minds think alike," he replied, shrugging.

"Well, if you must know... no, we haven't. And It'd be just great if you two wouldn't bring it up anymore. You know how I am," I murmured.

"You are the most fun to tease, Bella. Sometimes I just can't help it," he laughed.

I shook my head, and waited for Laurent and Carmen to return. They finished the whole race in just under three minutes. Laurent won by a foot, and Carmen was beyond irritated.

"He cheated!" she exclaimed.

"I didn't!" gasped Laurent.

"How did he cheat, love?" asked Eleazar.

"He... he swam very fast?" she offered.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Next time I'm racing someone, I'll have to remember to go a little slower. I forgot about the whole slow part of a race. Can you forgive me, Carmen?" said Laurent sarcastically.

I stifled a laugh.

"Like you... wouldn't... never mind," sighed Carmen, exasperated. "I'll win next time, though."

"I'm sure," said Laurent.

Later that night, as I was getting ready for bed, I heard a knock on the bathroom door. Carmen and Eleazar were out hunting. The plane ride made them a bit thirsty.

"Come in!" I called.

It was Laurent.

"Want to know something funny?" he asked, hopping onto the counter.

"What's that?" I started brushing my teeth.

"Carmen and Eleazar both asked me about... about that bed in there," he said, pointing towards the door.

I almost choked on my toothpaste. "They did that to me too!" I exclaimed after finishing my teeth.

Laurent almost looked angry. "That's rather rude of them, isn't it?"

"They're just nosy."

"Still," he insisted.

"Oh, don't be upset about it. I'm sure they didn't mean any harm," I laughed.

"They did the same thing to Irina and me. They asked about the bed, started dropping hints, all of that," he sighed, and turned his gaze to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't listen to what they say. We'll go at this relationship at our own pace, and we won't be pressured into things we aren't ready for," he answered.

"I didn't say I wasn't ready," I said before thinking. I blushed right away.

Laurent laughed quietly, sadly. "I'm not, Bella. I..." He swallowed. "I wish I was, but I'm not."

I didn't know what to say.

Laurent grinned. "And now they've gone and made us have an awkward moment. They are very rude, aren't they?"

"The worst," I laughed.

"We heard that!" yelled Eleazar from the front room.

"I'll be ready someday, Bella," whispered Laurent. "I promise."

It was a promise that I, surprisingly, really wanted him to keep.


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days were plagued with nightmares. I couldn't stop thinking about how unprotected the rest of the clan in Denali was, or how I wouldn't be nearby Jacob if Victoria happened to stumble upon him and his pack of werewolves.

Carmen and Eleazar thought my nightmares were intriguing. They had never spent anytime around people who had them, and they were fascinated when I told them what happened. Laurent was just worried. He was always there for me when I woke up.

A week after Carmen and Eleazar got to Spain, I had my scariest dream yet.

It was nighttime, and I was standing with Jacob on First Beach. He and I always used to go there before he turned into a werewolf...

"Bella, I have to tell you something," Jacob said, looking down at his feet.

"What is it?" I asked.

The wind blew slightly, blowing the smell of the salty ocean towards us. I bit my lip, and stared up into his eyes.

"I can't be here anymore. I'm leaving, Bella. Victoria is after you, and it's just... just too much of a risk for me. I can't be caught up in that," he answered.

"Oh," I breathed.

Before he could say anything else, something knocked him to the ground. I stumbled backwards.

Victoria was there, perched on Jacob's chest and grinning evilly. She lowered her mouth to his neck and bit down. Jake screamed.

My eyes shot open.

"Bella, I'm here," said Laurent. He was growing used to my nightmares.

"It was Jake this time. She was there, and he was there, and she bit him!" I gasped.

Laurent wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest.

"You were dreaming, Bella. Nothing happened. You are fine," he crooned into my ear, brushing my hair out of my face.

I shook my head. "Jake isn't fine."

Laurent didn't say anything. He just held me. It felt like hours had passed before I finally drifted to sleep again.

The next morning, Laurent wasn't beside me when I woke up. I practically sprinted down the stairs to find him. No matter how long we were together, I didn't like being more than one room away from him. I had severe separation anxiety.

"In here Bella!" called Laurent from the kitchen. There was a sullen note to his tone.

On the island was a giant stack of pancakes, and the smell of syrup wafted towards me. Laurent always cooked more than I could ever hope to eat.

Carmen and Eleazar were both facing away from Laurent, their arms crossed. Something had happened while I was sleeping that wasn't making them very happy. Laurent smiled a greeting, but it seemed false somehow.

"What's wrong?" I asked cautiously.

Laurent took a deep breath. "Your nightmares have me worried, Bella. I'm going back to Denali to see what I can find out about Victoria. I might make a stop in La Push and talk to the wolves there. It'd be lovely if you could call them and tell them not to eat me right away. I'll be back as soon as I can be. A week at the most."

My mouth fell open. "You're leaving?" I breathed.

Laurent nodded.

"And I'm not going with you?"

"Carmen and Eleazar will be here with you. I assure you, Bella, you have nothing to worry about. You will be safe here with them, I promise." He crossed the room in three strides, and scooped me into his arms.

"It's not myself that I'm worried about," I murmured.

He kissed my forehead. "I'll be fine, love."

I shook my head. "Victoria... she's not _good_," I groaned.

He held me out at arms length. "Bella, I _swear_ I will be okay."

I sighed. "Bring your cell phone."

An hour later, Laurent and I stood in the entryway. He only had a small shoulder bag with him.

"I'll miss you," he said, smiling sadly.

"I'll miss you, too," I replied.

He stepped towards me, an unmistakable look in his eyes. His hands cupped my face gently, and he lowered his lips to mine. My arms slipped around his neck, and my fingers laced in his hair. His hands trailed from my cheeks to my neck, and finally stopped at my hips. He pulled me closer. My heart started to speed up in my chest.

His kissing became more urgent, and his fingers lingered at the edge of my shirt. I sensed his hesitation, and helped the situation by taking my shirt off completely. He stepped back then, and ogled at me for a split second. I didn't even feel uncomfortable. His shirt was on the floor a second later. He pushed me against the wall and put a hand on each side of my face. I ran my hands down his sculpted chest.

If it wasn't for a quiet giggle from the top of the stairway, there was no telling where Laurent and I would end up.

Laurent turned sharply and glared at Carmen and Eleazar, who were watching with an entertained look on their faces. Their irritation from earlier had completely evaporated.

"That was _hot_!" exclaimed Carmen, clapping her hands.

I blushed a deep scarlet, and reached for my shirt that was so carelessly thrown on the ground. I put it on as quickly as I could.

"You guys are... are," seethed Laurent.

"Shouldn't you be going?" I asked, a little breathless. "You don't want to miss your flight." I needed to distract him. Ripping Carmen to shreds wouldn't do anybody any good at all.

Laurent gave me a quick peck on the lips. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I replied.

He was gone a second later.

"Bravo!" exclaimed Eleazar. "That was wonderful!"

I hid my face in my hands.

"Don't be like that, Bella," laughed Carmen. "We're just teasing."

"Sorry. I just can't seem to help but blush when people spy on my personal life," I muttered.

Carmen descended the stairs gracefully. "Oh, we weren't spying. We were just observing," she said.

"Oh yes, because that is so much better."

She took one of my hands.

"Bella, you mustn't be so silly," chuckled Eleazar, taking my other hand.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I ripped my hands from theirs immediately. "Hello?" I answered quickly.

"Are they being gross?" asked Laurent.

"Only a little bit," I said, grinning slightly.

"Tell Eleazar I'm going to murder him when I get back."

"Eleazar, Laurent is going to murder you when he gets back," I repeated.

"Fair enough," Eleazar replied. "I can't say I blame him."

"I just wanted to check in," sighed Laurent. He'd been gone only two minutes at the very most.

"I'm still here," I said wryly.

"Can you call your wolves at some point? I really would like to return in one piece."

"Will do," I replied.

"I love you," he said.

"Love you." As soon as I closed the phone, I felt a slight emptiness in my stomach. I told myself to ignore it. I knew it'd go away if I didn't focus on it.

"Now!" exclaimed Carmen. "How about a nice hike to get your mind off things?"

I sighed. It was going to be a long week.

**

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	16. Chapter 16

I waited until five that night to call Jake. It'd be eight in the morning in La Push, and that wasn't too unreasonable. Knowing Jake, though, he would still be asleep.

Carmen and Eleazar watched me carefully. Carmen was leaning against the kitchen counter, and Eleazar was sitting on it. They both looked as relaxed as they could be. As I dialed, I had the horrid thought that it might be Billy who answered.

It turned out to be much worse.

"Hello?" answered Charlie. It didn't sound like a question. It was like he was exhausted, a zombie even. I instantly felt horrible, and I didn't know what to do.

"Dad," I breathed.

"Bella?" he exclaimed, his voice suddenly brighter. "Bella, honey, is that you?"

I swallowed back tears. "Yes," I murmured.

"Oh, Bella! Oh, we thought you were... Where are you?" he demanded.

"Dad, I'm safe. That's all I can tell you. I'm safe, and I love you," I explained.

"Isabella Marie Swan, you get your little butt back here now!" he yelled. "You are so grounded, young lady."

"I... I can't exactly do that," I admitted.

Carmen and Eleazar were looking at me, concern all over their faces. Carmen reached out and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she mouthed silently.

I nodded. It wasn't true. I mean, I missed my dad so much that it hurt. She knew I was lying, but she didn't push it any further.

"And why not?" he asked, his anger hardly contained.

"Dad, I'm eighteen, you know. I have the right to live where I want to. I admit, when I left it was under some... unique circumstances that you wouldn't even begin to believe, but it's not like I did anything illegal." I hated myself for talking to Charlie like that after all I'd put him through.

It was quiet for a second. "Bella, I just heard from you for the first time in months... I don't want to fight. I'm so relieved you're okay. Can you just tell me why you can't be home? I need you here, Bells." He was pleading with me.

I sighed sadly. "Dad, you don't want to know. Just remember that I'm safe, that I'm happy, and that you don't have to worry about me, okay?"

I could hear him swallow. "Why did you call here?"

I cringed. He would probably feel bad that I had called Jacob and not home. "I... I have to talk to Jacob."

The phone was handed over, and it was only a second later that Jacob answered.

"Bella?" he asked quickly. He sounded worried.

"Hi, Jake. Can you do me a favor?" I asked reluctantly. I didn't know if he'd really like to do a favor that involved Laurent. "Oh, and can you promise?"

"Okay, Bella. I promise," he laughed. It was much easier to talk to him than it was during our last phone conversation.

"My friend Laurent will be in Forks in a few hours... can you please, please, please not hurt him?" I begged.

Jacob was silent.

"Jake, you promised."

"Fine," he sighed reluctantly.

I frowned. "You would have if I hadn't asked you to?"

"Yes, Bella. It's my job."

"Do you have to do that?" I asked.

"We're protectors, Bella. It's what we do," he answered. "Now I have to go tell the pack." He sounded irritated.

"Well... bye, then," I finished lamely.

"Bye." The line went dead.

I frowned and handed it back to Carmen.

"Are you okay? Do you need water, sleep, chocolate?" she asked quickly.

I smiled weakly. "No, I'm great. They aren't going to hurt Eleazar, so that's good." I needed a subject change, and fast. I didn't want to talk about Charlie or Jacob. "Why were you guys so irritated before Laurent left?"

Eleazar grinned and hopped off the counter. "We just didn't know what we'd do with a human for a week all by ourselves. Laurent has always been with you. We didn't know how easy you'd be to entertain," he explained.

I blushed. "I don't have to be entertained," I muttered.

"Oh, I know," he said. "Now how about that hike?"

I shook my head. "No, no, no. I don't hike." I stepped backwards.

"Don't be silly, Bella! You went hiking with Laurent," said Carmen, grabbing my arm.

Twenty minutes later, Carmen and Eleazar had taken me up one of the many surrounding mountains, and they were actually planning on watching my hike the whole way down. The sun was low in the sky, and I knew it was going to be dark soon.

The wind whipped my hair, and I glared at the two of them. At least they picked a trail instead of having me hack my way through the trees. It was beautiful, but not when I had to make my way out without hurting myself.

After five minutes, I could tell they were getting bored. I was walking extra slow in my attempt to avoid falling, and they were getting sick of following. I decided to ham it up a bit.

"Wow, I might actually like this hiking thing. We should do it more often." Of course, talking took my attention away from my feet. I tripped over a rock, and was certain I was going to fall. Eleazar caught me, though.

"You're welcome," he said cheerfully. Apparently my clumsiness was enough to entertain them for a few minutes. After Eleazar's fifth catch, though, they started to get bored again. I was just about to ask them if we could _go_ yet, when Carmen's phone rang. It was Laurent, so she handed it over to me.

"Hello, love," he said.

I smiled. "Hi."

"So, what are Carmen and Eleazar making you do at the moment? They told me what they had planned... I'm sorry I had to leave you with them," he laughed.

"We're actually on a hike right now."

He sighed. "Bella, don't fall down. It'll give me a heart attack if I come back to find your in a hospital somewhere for two broken legs, a broken arm, and a concussion."

"I'm not _that_ clumsy!"

"Have you seen yourself walk?" he asked.

"You hush."

"How about you hand the phone to Eleazar," he suggested.

I did as he said. It was hilarious to watch Eleazar as he talked on the phone. His expression went from smug to disappointed in mere seconds. He shoved the phone back at me without saying a word.

"What'd you say?" I asked.

I could practically see the smile on his face. "Oh, nothing important. He'll just be doing whatever you tell him to do now. You don't have to worry about hiking anymore."

"I don't want to know, then."

"Well, I just called to see what you were doing... I miss you, Bella. You know, I've never been away from you for this long. I can't say I enjoy it at all."

I blushed. I knew Carmen and Eleazar could hear. "I miss you, too."

"Bye, Bella."

"Bye."

When I hung up, Eleazar glared at me. "You big cheater."

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	17. Chapter 17

Three days later, Laurent burst through the front door. He called about twenty minutes before and said he was coming, so I went into the entryway to wait. It was the longest twenty minutes of my life. The sun had gone down a few hours before, and I was getting tired.

I had enjoyed the days I spent with Carmen and Eleazar well enough. Carmen and I spent hours talking about anything that we could think of, and Eleazar spent his time embarrassing me. He was fascinated at making me blush, and the bad thing was, he was good at it.

Laurent dropped his bag and held out his arms the second he entered. I ran towards him, only to have the breath knocked out of me once I got there. I always forgot how much harder vampires were than humans.

"I missed you!" he exclaimed.

"Me too," I breathed.

He kissed my forehead.

"Thank _God_ you're back," said Eleazar, waltzing in from the kitchen. Carmen was right behind him. "Bella has been nothing but a big old pain!"

"I was," I agreed, nodding. "I did nothing but eat and sleep."

Laurent smiled. "Eleazar, I think I asked you to keep Bella happy, no?"

"Oh, I did. Just ask her." He smiled smugly.

Laurent cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, Laurent. He was the picture of hospitality." I didn't mention how he made me go swimming, run away from a fish he was chasing me with, and then trip because I was so grossed out. It was a lovely little adventure. He was like the little brother I was glad I didn't have.

Laurent frowned. "There is something I need to discuss with Carmen and Eleazar, though. Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. If there was one thing that Carmen and Eleazar made sure of, it was that I was always uncomfortably full. I took the hint, though, and told Laurent that I'd go take a shower.

Before I got in, I inspected very carefully for any spiders. If there was anything that would put a damper on the day, it was a Spain spider... Of course, if Laurent came to my rescue, it wouldn't be _that_ bad. I was just happy he was home.

When I got out, I changed into my comfiest jammies, a tank top and a pa. It would feel amazing to sleep next to Laurent again. I always felt strangely empty when he left a _room_, let alone the house. I didn't realize before how much he meant to me. I never wanted to be away from him again.

Laurent was waiting for me on the bed when I left the bathroom. He was reading a book, but put it aside when he saw me. He held out his arms and smiled.

I climbed over him, and onto my side of the bed. "I'm so happy you're home."

"I don't think I can be away from you for that long again. I all but jumped out of the plane and _ran_ here," he laughed. "Those would be very surprised passengers."

"Not to mention a pretty irritated pilot," I said.

He smiled, and pulled me even closer.

"Did you find anything out?" I asked. The whole reason he left was because he was going to go investigate what was happening with Victoria. My nightmares hadn't gotten any better since he left.

"Yes," he answered reluctantly.

"Well," I pressed.

"We don't have to worry about it right now."

"We have to worry at some point?" My heart started beating faster. "Is everyone okay?"

"Bella, everyone is fine!" he insisted.

I didn't listen. "Oh, something had going wrong, hasn't it? It's all my fault."

He took my face in his hands. "Bella, you've done nothing wrong. You're going to be safe."

I shook my head slightly. "It is my fau-"

He interrupted my by pressing his lips to mine. I instantly forgot what was was worried about. It had felt like an eternity since I had kissed him. I wrapped my fingers in his hair, and pulled him closer. He rolled on top of me, but supported all of his weight with his arms. His kisses trailed down my neck, where I was sure he could feel my pulse beating wildly.

"It's. Not. Your. Fault," he said between kisses. His French accent became more prominent with each word. I got goosebumps, and he laughed.

His lips lingered at the edge of my tank top, and I nodded. His hand crept under my shirt slowly. I shuddered.

We were interrupted, like we _always_ were, by Carmen and Eleazar. They burst into the room, and the two of them looked worried.

"Laurent, Alice just called. Victoria is on her way, and she has people with her," Carmen ranted. Eleazar was behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

Laurent sat straight up. "What? That can't be! She didn't even know we were here!"

"What's going on?" I whispered.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," he said. He looked absolutely tortured. "Victoria must have seen my get on a flight here. She'll find us."

"Is there anything we can do?" I asked quickly.

He paused, thinking it over. "You could... call the Cullens," he suggested.

My heart dropped. The only one I had talked so since they left was Edward, and I knew he wasn't very pleased with me at all. His family was probably angry at me, too, for telling Edward I didn't want to be with him. They'd be reluctant to help.

"I don't think they'd do anything," I said.

"Are you _kidding_?" he asked. "They'd do anything for you!"

I sighed, and held out my hand for the phone. Laurent handed it over, and watched eagerly as I dialed Alice. I figured she was the one that would be most likely to help.

"Bella!" she shrieked.

"Hi, Alice," I said, tears pooling in my eyes.

"Oh, Bella! Yes, we'll help!" she said. "I've missed you so much, and you know I'd do anything for you."

I heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Alice."

"Jasper and I will be in Spain as soon as we can. The rest of us will follow soon after," she said. "I can't even talk right now. Jasper and I are getting on a plane in about ten minutes."

"Bye, Alice."

"Bye, Bella. I love you, and I'll see you soon."

I hung up, smiling. "She's on her way, and the rest of them will follow her soon."

"See!" exclaimed Eleazar. "Oh, yeah, and Laurent? You might not want to be doing what you were doing just now. I have a feeling the Cullens wouldn't appreciate it."

I blushed.

"And the score is now ten to zero!" yelled Eleazar.

Laurent growled. "Remember what I said on the phone?"

Eleazar straightened up. "Carmen, I think we're needed in the kitchen. I hear the plumbing needs to be redone." He ran from the room, leaving his wife, and a big piece of his manliness, behind.

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	18. Chapter 18

Just twenty hours later, the front door flung open and Alice and Jasper ran into the house.

"Bella!" shrieked Alice.

I was in the kitchen, eating some of Laurent's amazing food. Laurent was there, too, watching me like he always did.

When I heard her voice, I jumped out of my chair, tripping over my feet in the process. Laurent caught me right before I hit the ground.

"Thanks," I breathed. I wiggled away from him and sprinted to the entryway.

Alice was standing there, her arms held wide. I ran into her grasp, forgetting once again that vampires are as hard as granite. The breath was knocked out of me, but I didn't care. I had missed her severely, and loosing my breath was just a small price to pay.

"I missed you so much!" I cried, wrapping my arms around her waist.

She laughed, and I realized how very much I missed the sound. "You too, Bella."

When I finally let go of her, I turned to Jasper. I knew it wouldn't be smart to hug him, so I stuck out my hand. He chuckled, grabbed it, and pulled me into a hug.

"I can control myself, Bella," he said, giving me a quick squeeze.

Carmen and Eleazar entered the room just a second later.

"Woo! You better watch her, Laurent. It seems she has her eye on another prize!" exclaimed Eleazar, clapping his hands.

"Carmen, you better watch him... it seems he's going to be thrown through a wall in a minute," replied Laurent with his most pleasant tone.

Jasper laughed and gently pushed me towards Laurent.

Alice intercepted me. She grabbed my hand. "Bella, we have so much to talk about!" she gushed.

Laurent, Eleazar, and Jasper all groaned at the same time.

"Girl talk," whined Eleazar.

"_Alice's_ girl talk," elaborated Jasper.

Laurent started laughing hysterically. "Oh my God," he gasped. "Bella has to girl talk."

Jasper and Eleazar started joining in immediately. I didn't blame them. I was _not_ the type of person who liked to talk about boys, clothes, makeup, fashion... everything that Alice loved to talk about.

"Guess who's not getting any tonight!" sang Carmen.

Jasper and Laurent laughed even harder as Eleazar tried to plead with Carmen.

"So!" exclaimed Carmen over Eleazar. "I believe we have some _girl talking_ to do."

We went upstairs, where we could only barely hear Eleazar. We were in the room the Laurent and I slept in, lounging on the bed.

"Bella, I had no idea you and Laurent were together," started Alice. She wasn't nearly as excited as she was downstairs. "How did that even happen?"

I sighed and started playing with the blanket. I had seemed like so, _so_ long ago since Laurent took me away from Forks.

"Victoria was going to Forks to get me, so Laurent saved me. He took me to Denali, and we stayed there for quite awhile," I said, avoiding her gaze.

"_Victoria was out to get you and you didn't even call us_?" yelled Alice.

"There were enough of us in Denali to handle it, Alice," said Carmen.

Alice took a deep breath. "And then what happened?"

"The werewolves came, which I think you probably know about already, and we decided to go to Spain. I didn't know at the time that Jacob was one of them," I explained.

"Jacob _Black_? I thought they had all died out," she murmured

"Yes, Jacob Black. So, anyway, we came here for a while... and then Laurent went to go check on the Victoria situation. Right after he got back, you called and said that Victoria was coming with some friends. That's about it," I finished.

Alice shook her head. "_That's_ not what I asked, but thanks. I wanted to know how you and Laurent got together!" She was grinning widely.

"Oh my God, Alice... Eleazar and I have walked in on them a few times. Talk about passion!" exclaimed Carmen.

I buried my face in the bed. I knew my face was tomato red.

Alice squealed. "Oh, spill it, Bella!"

With my face still in the bed, I yelled, "Laurent!"

He was in the room just a second later.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed Alice. "This is girl talk!"

"But..." said Laurent.

"Stay!" I gasped.

"Leave!" commanded Carmen.

I had never seen Laurent so confused.

"Hey, Bella, when was the last time you had cramps?" asked Alice.

"Bye, Bella," said Laurent quickly. He left the room as quickly as possible.

"You suck," I groaned.

"You cheated!" laughed Alice. "You can't call him in to save you! Now, how did it happen?"

"I don't know!" I answered honestly. "The more time we spent together, the closer and closer we got. It just kind of happened."

Alice grinned. "_Hot!_"

I laughed. "How is that in any way hot?"

"The more time you spent together! Alone time, I bet!" she giggled.

"Laurent, you are so in trouble!" I called. I knew he wasn't going to rescue me for Alice and Carmen, no matter how hard I begged him.

"What did you say? You love me to pieces and never want me to leave? Sounds good!" he yelled back.

"You don't get to leave yet," said Carmen. "You have hardly told her anything!"

Carmen was the one who ended up telling Alice all that Eleazar and I had done. When she was finished, I was almost positive that my face would be red for the rest of my life.

When Alice stopped squealing about how cute we were together, she sighed. She tended to have little mood swings sometimes, and it was a little hard to keep up.

"What about Edward?" she asked.

"He came back and tried to take me away from Laurent... I told him I didn't want to go," I whispered.

Alice nodded. "I figured it was something like that."

It was then that the door cracked open. "I'm here to save you now, love," said Laurent. He walked in, ignoring the protests of Alice and Carmen. He pulled me off the the bed and led me out of the room.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"It seemed like it was about time," he replied, kissing my hand.

I nodded. If there was one person I didn't want to talk about at that point, it was Edward.

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	19. Chapter 19

Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie arrived the day after Jasper and Alice did. It was a good thing Carmen and Eleazar had a castle, because we would certainly need the space.

"Bella!" yelled Emmett as soon as he saw me. He pulled me from Laurent and scooped me up into the world's most giant hug. "I swear, if you don't fall down while I'm here, I am going to be very disappointed."

"I missed you, too, Emmett," I gasped through his breathtaking hold on me.

When he set me down, Rosalie looked at me as she always used to, her eyes filled with every mean name she couldn't call me out loud. Carmen was sure to sweep Rosalie out of the room and show her the massive makeup, clothes, and hair product selection the had at the house. It was where Alice was hiding. Jasper was there, but refused to participate at all.

Emmett cringed. "I am _not_ going any_where_ near any_thing_ that makes any_one_ look different than they were born to be. Makeup... ugh," he said.

Eleazar laughed. "She practiced on you, didn't she?"

Emmett hesitated. "No," he answered, fooling nobody.

"Luckily, Bella does not enjoy makeup," said Eleazar, grinning.

"That doesn't mean you're safe!" called Carmen.

Laurent look horrified. "Oh, God."

Esme stepped from behind Emmett and embraced me. "I've missed you, Bella," she whispered.

I felt my eyes well up. I had missed Esme, too. Carlisle gave me a pat on the back, and then asked Laurent and Eleazar to explain everything.

We all ended up in the kitchen, sitting around the huge island. Eleazar made sure I had a meal in front of me before anyone could talk.

"Well, it's all very simple. I took Bella from Forks because Victoria was going to kill her," explained Laurent. "We went to Denali and the werewolves were there, so we flew to Spain because we didn't know they were friends of Bella's. Victoria is bitter, to say the least, so she and a couple of her friends are headed this way."

I wasn't the slightest bit hungry after he told the Cullens what the problem was. The problem was _me. _I was the reason everyone had to come and save us from Victoria.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"No, no, no!" exclaimed Carlisle. "We love you, Bella, and quite frankly, are a little irritated you didn't alert us _sooner_! You will always be able to count on us!"

"Bella!" yelled Alice from upstairs. "We need someone with your skin tone to try out this type of makeup! You have to come too, Esme!"

Upstairs, in the bathroom that connected to my room, Alice had made herself a huge makeup station. Carmen had her hair in cascading curls. Rosalie, who looked stunning when she walked in the door, looked three times as beautiful.

"Bella's turn!" sang Alice.

"Eleazar, how about we go on a hike?" I called.

"Nice try!" he yelled back.

I sighed, and slid onto the counter.

"Now, you can't turn around until I finish," instructed Alice. "And after you, I'll move to Esme!"

After a few minutes of brushes tickling my eyelids and lipstick being smoothed onto my lips, it was Esme's turn. Alice practically threw me at Rosalie and Carmen, who started playing with my hair. Twenty minutes later, Esme and I had been successfully made over.

Carmen pulled us out of the bathroom, and then straight into the walk-in closet. She started pulling down dress after dress.

I glanced at Esme. "What are they planning?" I whispered.

"Nothing!" exclaimed Alice defensively. "I just like dressing you up."

"She's ly-!" I heard Laurent yell before he was cut off by something.

I glared at Alice. "What am I going to be doing in a dress, Alice?"

"Oh, nothing," she said nonchalantly.

Alice chose a deep red dress for me, and a green one for Esme. She wore blue, Rosalie wore black, and Carmen wore purple. When she pulled out the heels, however, I put my foot down.

"Alice, there's no reason to be dressing up. I will _not_ kill myself on heels for no reason." I crossed my arms.

Alice pouted. "Well, there is a reason, I just didn't want you to know it yet."

"Oh," I murmured. "Okay, but I still don't want to wear the heels."

I ended up wearing the heels. After Alice had decided that all of us looked presentable, she let us go downstairs. I expected to see the guys in their jeans, sitting at the island laughing at our misfortune. They weren't.

At the foot of the stairs stood Laurent, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and Eleazar. Each of them were wearing dark, well-cut suits.

"Surprise!" exclaimed Alice. "We're going down to the beach."

"Why did we have to get in fancy clothes for the beach?" I asked.

"Oh, we set it _all_ up. It's going to be great!" assured Alice.

Laurent took my hand and kissed it. "You look great, love," he whispered.

Laurent opened to front door, and the entire group walked out into the beautiful night. I could see tiki torches lining the beach. As we got closer, I saw one of those hardwood floors that they use at school dances... well, the one I had been to, anyway. It was big enough for all of us to dance on.

I turned around as soon as I saw it. "No, no, no," I said nervously.

Laurent pulled me back. "You won't get hurt, I promise."

There was also a table with a stereo and a few bottles of water on it. All the water was for me, of course. I pulled one off of the table and downed it. When I was nervous, I got extremely thirsty.

The light of the torches flickered off of the water, and the smell of the sea filled the air. It was pleasantly warm. The breeze played with my hair.

Alice pressed play on the stereo and a song I didn't know started playing. Everyone started to waltz, and I started to feel nauseous.

"I don't dance," I insisted.

Laurent laughed. "Nonsense."

He pulled me into him, and in a way that reminded me so much of Edward it was almost ridiculous, placed my feet on top of his and started dancing.

"Feeling better?" he asked after a few minutes.

I nodded, unable to speak. The lump in my throat was overpowering.

He placed his lips to my ear. "What is wrong?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "I just need some water," I gasped.

I _missed_ Edward. Dancing with Laurent was just like dancing with Edward. I knew it was only one thing, but I couldn't help it. I broke away from Laurent and got another water bottle from the table. It was gone in just a few moments.

"Would you like to sit this one out?" asked Laurent.

I nodded. He hopped onto the table, and I sat next to him. He put his arm around me.

I watched the people who might as well be my family spin gracefully around the dance floor. For being the size he was, Emmett was surprisingly smooth when he was dancing. He was grinning at Rosalie, and Rosalie was smiling right back at him. He was one of the only people that could make her pleasant to be around.

Alice was blissfully happy, which meant Jasper was too. Alice's eyes were trained on Jasper's face. They seemed to be having a conversation without actually saying anything.

Carmen and Eleazar looked more like they should be tangoing, which made me smile. As much as Eleazar liked to act like a kid, he really was quite the gentleman when the moment called for it. He and Carmen looked like they were just _meant_ to be together.

Esme and Carlisle were also sitting out. They were lounging on the sand, despite their formal attire. Esme was holding her heels in her hand, and Carlisle brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. They were having a conversation too quiet for me to understand.

Multiple songs played, I had another bottle of water, and I was content in Laurent's arms. I was starting to calm down, when I realized I had probably had one too many waters.

I slipped off the table, successfully not killing myself in the process. "I'll be right back," I said.

Laurent nodded.

I took my heels off and walked to the front door. I pushed it open, and made my way to the nearest bathroom.

I stopped however, when I heard someone gasp.

"Bella?" breathed Edward.

I turned around and saw him standing on the wall of the entryway. He had never looked so devastatingly beautiful. He took a step towards me.

"You're... you're gorgeous," he murmured.

I swallowed.

He crossed the room and cupped my face in one of his hands. He didn't move, he just looked. I didn't stop him.

We were interrupted, however, when the front door opened again. I spun around and saw Laurent standing there.

* * *

**GASP!**

**Dun dun dun. :)**

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	20. Chapter 20

"Laurent, I swear, it's not what it looks like," I insisted, pushing Edward away.

Laurent looked away from me, straight at Edward. "What is it, then?" he said, his voice low.

"I was just telling her how beautiful she looked. Have you done that lately?" snarled Edward.

"I've been doing it much more than you have," snapped Laurent.

"Guys, _stop it_!" I exclaimed. "Just stop! We've talked about this before, and both of you know what I've decided."

Edward looked at his feet and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Bella. I just..." His voice cracked, which shocked me. I didn't know that his voice could be anything other than perfect.

I shot Laurent a warning glance before turning back to Edward. I cupped his face in my hands. "Edward Cullen, I need you to move on, okay? I love you, Edward, and I always will... but you and I are never, _ever_ going to be."

He looked right back at me. We were silent for what seemed like forever. Finally, he said, "If you feel that way, Bella, I suppose I cannot stop you." He strode out the front door.

I didn't turn around. I knew Laurent was standing there. I felt the tears pool in my eyes, just moments from spilling over.

I knew what I did was right. Laurent would never leave me, never hurt me like Edward did. Laurent was the one who put all the little pieces of my heart back together, and I loved him for it. He was _always_ there to comfort me, no matter what was happening. I could trust him with anything, and I _knew_ that he was the one for me.

He was the one who saved me from Victoria that first time. He was the one who took me to Spain in the first place. He even squished spiders for me...

"Bella?" murmured Laurent. "Are you okay?"

I turned and looked at him. I managed a tiny smile. "I love you, Laurent."

The look on his face was priceless. His eyes lit up, and his smile beamed. He held out his arms, and I crossed the distance between us. He embraced me tightly.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered. He kissed the top of my head. "And you really do look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Seconds later, Alice burst into the room.

"They're close, _very_ close!" she exclaimed. Soon, the room was filled with the vampires on our side. "We need Bella out of here... now."

Laurent lifted me off of my feet and ran me to the bedroom. He tossed a bag at me, and then started helping me pack.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Laurent shook his head. "I honestly do not know, _ma belle_," he admitted.

My hands were shaking, and finally Laurent told me to go downstairs and wait for him there. Jasper, Emmett, and Edward, who had chosen to stay, were almost bouncing with anticipation.

"Who is coming?" I asked as soon as I got to the foot of the stairs.

Alice was walking right towards me, but had to stop. She was rocked by a vision that lasted several seconds. When she was coherent, she was visibly shaken.

"Irina is with her!" yelled Alice.

Carmen froze. "Irina," she whispered. "Not Irina..."

Alice was at her side instantly, whispering comforting words that I could not hear.

Edward stormed into the room. "It's too late!" he growled. "Get Bella away from here."

I felt Laurent behind me, taking hold of my arm. He stopped right when he touched it, though.

"Too late," he repeated.

As soon as he said it, the front doors flew open... and there she was. Victoria, the woman who had plagued my nightmares and made me leave my home. Her red hair was wild, terrifying, and she looked straight at me. The grin, the absolutely _evil_ grin on her face was bone chilling.

"Bella," she said, my name practically dripping out of her mouth.

The Cullens flew into action. Before they could catch her, however, the room was filled with others... others who were completely focused on finding _me_. Laurent pushed me behind him and told me to stay where I was.

Almost instantly, Edward was beside Laurent.

"Newborns!" shouted Jasper. "Don't let them get behind you!"

The massive entryway was filled with newborn vampires. I could pick out the Cullens individually, and Carmen and Eleazar were very easy to spot. It was like they were engaged in a very intricate dance. Carmen would move one way, and Eleazar would move exactly in-sync. They were ripping newborn after newborn limb from limb... it was nauseating.

Alice was flitting around, just destroying whatever was in her way. I knew that if I were a newborn, I wouldn't want to be in Alice's path. She almost floated, she was so graceful. It didn't look like she was fighting.

Jasper, on the other hand, did look like he was fighting. It was like he was some kind of machine. No matter how many went after him, he always came out victorious. The triumph on his face would have been almost entertaining if it weren't for the fact that it was a life threatening situation.

Carlisle and Esme worked silently, sneaking up on their victims until it was too late. Carlisle looked disappointed, though, and I knew it was a hard thing for him to do.

"Laurent!" shouted Irina. "I hate you! You stupid, lying _scum_!" She was trying to force her way up the stairs, but Emmett was in her way. Whenever she got close enough, Emmett would make her step backwards.

"What is this about?" he yelled back. "_Il n'était pas sérieux_! It was not serious!"

"I loved you!" she screeched.

"It was a meaningless fling!" replied Laurent sharply.

She screamed, and the sound was enough to make me grab my ears. It was high-pitched, inhuman... Someone was killing her, and it wasn't Emmett.

Behind her, I could just make out the shock of red hair... Victoria, with one of Irina's arms in her grasp. She threw it across the room, while Irina writhed in pain.

"No! No, no, no, no, _no_!" cried Carmen.

"She was getting emotional, and we don't need that," said Victoria

"Go, Laurent!" commanded Edward. "Take Bella and go."

The last thing I saw in the room were the scattered limbs and torsos of the vampires who had come to battle with us. I was thrown over Laurent's shoulder.

"Where are we going?" I gasped.

"Away," he answered. "Far away from here."

Parked in back were so many sports cars, I wouldn't have been surprised to see price tags stuck onto all of the windows. Laurent chose one, practically threw me into the car, hopped into the driver's seat, and stepped on the gas.

My heart was hammering in my chest. I couldn't sit still, I couldn't breathe...

"Bella, calm down," said Laurent, his voice oddly strained. "Just stay calm."

I shook my head. "No! No, no, this is all my fault," I breathed. "I can't." My chest heaved up and down, and Laurent took my hand in his.

"Calm," he repeated. He seemed to be convincing himself as well.

However, when a beeping from the dash alerted Laurent of the amount of fuel in the gas tank, Laurent pounded the steering wheel.

"Damn!" he yelled. He pulled over on the side of the twisting road.

When he opened my door, he was no longer wearing his suit jacket. "It will be cold," he said, slipping it over my arms. My dress certainly _wasn't_ the warmest thing on the planet.

Moments later, I was on his back, and he was running as fast as he possibly could.

"Laurent... about Irina," I started.

"No, Bella. Don't worry about her. That is my burden," he murmured.

I nodded and put my head on his shoulder. It could have been seconds, minutes, or even hours before Laurent spoke again... and it wasn't a good thing.

"No!" he shouted. He stopped running, placed me on the ground, and dropped to a defensive stance. There were trees all around us, and we were in the only clearing I could see.

"Laurent," I whispered, my voice shaking.

A loud, terrifying giggle came from the trees. Laurent shifted his stance just as Victoria stepped from the trees. She was pushing her hair out of her face, and glaring at me with what could only be described as pure loathing.

"Oh, Laurent," she said, still looking at me. "I thought you were on my side for the longest time." She laughed again, this time a harsh sound. "Silly me. But you won't be bothering me now, dear Laurent. Nor will your little pet."

Laurent growled and charged at her. She fell back and snarled. They circled each other, But Laurent made sure Victoria never got close to me. When she attacked, he feinted. She was the one who ended up doing all the attacking, while Laurent spent much less energy and focus blocking her attacks. It left him more time to focus on his attack...

She would go for what she thought was a weak spot, but Laurent would be there, ready to defend me. She was getting more irritated, more desperate as the fight wore on.

"You were on my side!" she shrieked.

"And then I realized what a psychotic woman you were," he retorted, each of his syllables short.

It was like they were walking on air. Each motion was so perfectly executed, that I was certain both of them had experience in fighting. Some things were happening to fast for me to grasp. At some moments, Laurent would have the upper hand, and sometimes Victoria would. They were almost evenly matched, and it was absolutely horrifying to watch.

Victoria would let out a quick laugh every once in a while, and it made me want to throw up. She was so evil, so horrid, it was hard just to look at her. I couldn't peel my eyes away, though. It was fascinating and amazing frightening at the same time.

After what seemed like days, he let Victoria break through his defenses. She swept past him, thinking she had won. Her celebrating was cut short, though, when Laurent pulled her arm from its very socket. The sound of tearing metal permeated the air as he kept ripping at her body. Her screaming and the noise of her body being virtually disassembled made me dizzy.

I fell to my knees just as Laurent tore her head off her neck. He pulled something out of his pocket, a match book. He struck the match and then tossed it into the pile of Victoria's remains. A thick cloud of smoke started to practically pour from her body.

Laurent's shirt was ripped open, and his hair was a mess. I couldn't focus on anything but him, and how much it would have killed me if he lost.

"You-You're alive!" I gasped. I got up quickly and rushed over to him. I jumped into his outstretched arms. I kissed every inch of him I could reach.

And to my surprise, he didn't stop me. He held my waist firmly, almost enough to hurt... but I didn't care. His shirt, which was almost all the way off anyway, was out of the way in seconds, which left him standing there with just his dress pants on. I took a step back. He was standing in all his pale, shirtless, and _French_ glory right in front of me.

Laurent chuckled. "You like what you see, yes?" he asked.

I nodded, and stepped towards him once again, making sure not to trip on the hem of my dress. It would be just like me to ruin a perfect moment with a second of clumsiness.

I kissed his collarbone, and he caught his breath. I smiled against his freezing skin. He lifted my chin with one finger and looked straight into my eyes.

"It's over. All of this is over. We don't have to run anymore, Bella. We can stay in one spot," he mused

I nodded.

"I love you," he said.

"And I love you," I replied.

There was a look in his eyes... a look I did not understand until he dropped to one knee.

"Isabella Marie Swan," he started. His French accent made my name sound much better than it ever has before. "Will you marry me?"

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**A lot of stuff happpppened there hahah...**

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	21. Chapter 21

We all got on the same plane ride home a week after the fight. It was going to be a big few days at the Cullen's house. I was going to see Jacob, my dad... I was excited, but also incredibly nervous. My dad hadn't seen me for months... Jacob told me he thought I was dead, so I told Jacob to tell him I wasn't. Even _that_ was a while ago. I didn't know how he was going to react.

After Victoria killed Irina, Carmen was practically inconsolable. She fought with new vigor, killing anything and everything in sight. When the fight was over, though, she remained silent at all times. Even the offer of a shopping trip from Alice didn't perk her up, which was really a sign that something was dreadfully wrong. She and Eleazar sat next to each other on the plane. They held hands, but neither of them said a word.

Edward was sitting on one side of me, and Laurent was on the other. After Laurent saved me from Victoria, Edward admitted that just _maybe_ Laurent was good enough for me. He always seemed to be around, though, which was a little bit strange. I didn't have the heart to tell him to leave, though. I knew once we got to Forks, he'd spend more time with his family and let me have some actual alone time with Laurent.

Laurent squeezed my hand, the one with the ring on it. We had been on the plane for a few hours, and nobody was talking. "Are you okay?" he murmured.

I smiled and nodded. "I'm fine."

He grinned. "Great." He kissed my hand, and then turned his gaze out the window.

I looked down at my left hand, the one with a massive diamond ring on it. It was really a no-brainer, saying yes to Laurent. I loved him, he loved me... it seemed obvious that we would get married. Alice was already planning everything, no matter how hard I tried to protest. It was a useless attempt, though. She would end up planning it, and it would probably be the most extravagant wedding I've ever seen.

When the pilot said we would be landing in Seattle in less than ten minutes, I began to get nervous. Laurent could tell.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I've been gone for a very long time," I replied.

"You're alive," he pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm also getting married. My dad is going to kill me." Thinking about Charlie's reaction made me even more nervous...

Laurent chuckled. "I guess you _have_ been up to a lot while you've been away."

I thought I would have the whole drive to Forks to think up a story I could tell. It didn't even cross my mind before. I had no idea what I would tell Charlie. I was wrong, though. Waiting for us just outside the gate were Charlie and Jacob.

When Charlie saw me, he broke into the biggest smile I'd ever seen from him. "Bella!" he exclaimed. I dropped Laurent's hand and ran towards him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I whispered when he caught me.

He hugged me tightly. "I'm not going to ask any questions right now. I'm just so, so happy you're alive."

He let go and then looked past me. When he saw the entire Cullen family, Laurent, Carmen, and Eleazar, he frowned.

"I'm not going to ask questions right now," he repeated quietly.

I turned to Jacob, but instead of seeing the happy, excited smile I was used to, his face was grim. He was looking at the vampires, too.

"Jacob?" I asked quietly.

He looked down at me, and he smiled half-heartedly. "Hi, Bells." He engulfed me in what was, quite possibly, the biggest hug of my entire life. It was probably because he seemed to have grown a foot while I was gone. He also chopped off all of his hair. In general, he was just much different.

Charlie cleared his throat after a second. "Uh, Bella... who are those people?" he asked, breaking his no question promise. He gestured towards the Cullens.

"You know them," I replied, hoping he wouldn't point out that he _didn't_ know all of them.

Carlisle strode up to him and shook his hand. "It's nice to see you again, chief."

Charlie nodded, but looked past Carlisle. "Who are _they_?" he asked, pointing towards, Laurent, Carmen, and Eleazar.

The three of them stepped forward. "Well," I started uncertainly. "This is Carmen and her husband Eleazar," I explained, pointing to the both of them. Carmen tried to smile, and Eleazar waved.

"I wish we could stay longer, but we actually have to catch a flight back to Alaska right now. See you later, cousin," said Eleazar, clapping Carlisle on the back. "I'll call you when we get there." They both strode away quickly, saving me from having to explain anymore.

"And this?" said Charlie, gesturing to Laurent.

I glanced at Laurent, but he just smiled at me and stepped forward. "I am Laurent." He thrust out his hand. "I am one of the Cullen's good friends."

Charlie nodded, but eyed him suspiciously. "Well, if it is alright with all of you, I think I'd like to take Bella home now."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Carlisle interrupted me. "That sounds like a great idea. If it is okay with you, though, we would like to have Bella over tomorrow."

Charlie was silent for a moment, but then finally nodded.

A few minutes later, when Charlie, Jake, and I were sitting in the cruiser, Charlie noticed something... I was reaching to change the level of volume on the stereo, when Charlie caught an eyeful of my left hand.

"Bella, that ring is on the wrong hand," he said nonchalantly.

I bit my lip. "No, it's not," I whispered.

"_What_?" roared Charlie and Jake at the same time.

"Bella, what the hell?" gasped Jake.

"He left you!" exclaimed Charlie. "And you just get back with him?"

"He hurt you, Bella!" yelled Jake.

"You need someone better for you!" growled Charlie.

After a few more seconds of outraged exclamations from Jake and Charlie, I yelled, "Stop!"

"But... but Edward left you, Bella," said Jake, loathing in his every word.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not getting married to Edward then!" I snapped, trying desperately hard not to turn around and punch Jacob in the face.

The two of them were dead silent. It was finally my dad who spoke, and his voice shook. "Who are you getting married to?"

I looked down at my lap. Charlie had talked to Laurent for all of three seconds. I had no idea how to break it to him that I was getting _married_ to him.

"Bella," urged Jacob. "Who are you getting married to?"

"If it's the big one, Emmett, I swear, I will be forced to do something drastic," warned Charlie.

"It's not Emmett, Dad!" Just the thought of being with Emmett made me cringe. It wasn't that he was not attractive, it was just that I'd have to face the wrath of Rosalie.

Finally, I sighed. From the way that Jacob and Charlie were glaring at me, I figured I couldn't just stay quiet forever. "Laurent. I'm getting married to Laurent."

"Wait, that French guy at the airport? You're marrying _him_? I don't even know him!" exclaimed Charlie.

"You do too know him," I retorted.

"Talking to someone for a few seconds does not count as 'knowing someone,' Bella," sighed my dad.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "But I am marrying Laurent. I don't think you understand how much he has helped me for the past few months. He really has saved my life, Dad."

Charlie shook his head. "I wish I knew what happened, Bella."

I put my head against the window. "Maybe later, Dad."

I doubted I would ever get to tell him what happened. He couldn't know that the Cullens were vampires, so there would be basically no way to tell him what happened. I just hoped that maybe Carlisle would have an idea. If not, I was going to have a big problem on my hands.

* * *

**So I should probably say I'm sorry for taking so long to update... hmm. I don't even really know why it took me so long.**

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	22. Chapter 22

Later that night, after Jake had gone home and Charlie had fallen asleep, Laurent climbed through my bedroom window. I wasn't exactly shocked to see him. I figured he'd be paying me a visit before the night was out, and one of the Cullens must have told him about my window.

I had just changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed when I saw the window open. Just a second later, he was lying next to me.

"I've missed you," he murmured.

I smiled. "Me too. But... I have something a little, uhm, unexpected to tell you. My dad knows that we're getting married."

He laughed. "Oh my. And I am guessing he was not too happy?"

I shook my head. "And Jacob wasn't either."

"Well, it all does seem a little... far fetched. I mean, you are gone for a few months without any contact, and then when you come back you just happen to be engaged. I do not blame him for being upset," said Laurent.

I frowned. "I understand."

He smiled. "Why are you so sad?"

"Oh, I just... just wish he'd get over it," I sighed.

Laurent laughed. "Oh, he'll just have to accept it."

I put my head on his chest. He pulled the covers around my body. I sighed happily. I had never been as content as I was when I was with Laurent. We could just lie back and relax. It was like I didn't have a worry in the world...

That is, until a werewolf climbed through my window. Laurent was on his feet in a moment, just as Jacob stepped through the window. He was calm, but even I could see the way he angled himself between Jacob and me.

"Woah, woah, woah. Jake, what are you doing leaping through windows?" I laughed, stepping in front of Laurent. He let me pass, but I knew he was watching closely.

His eyes flashed behind me to Laurent. "And what are you doing keeping vampires in your room?" he retorted.

I kept eye contact with him. "I think you know why, Jacob."

Jacob sighed. "So this is the guy..." he murmured.

"Yes," said Laurent. He stuck out his hand. "I am Bella's fiancé."

Jacob looked at his hand before reaching out and shaking it firmly. There was something in his facial expression, something not friendly at all.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Laurent, smiling. "Bella's told me about what a great friend you are to her, and I thank you for that."

"Yeah," murmured Jacob. He wasn't smiling. "Friend."

Laurent realized that something was wrong. "Bella, I think I am going to go talk to Carlisle. He was going to show me the art in his study, and I think now would be a good time." He kissed my forehead and then was gone.

Jacob sighed.

"Jake, what's wrong?" I asked. I stepped towards him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He was much, much taller than me.

His arms found their way around me. "It's nothing, Bella." He was lying.

"Jake, what is it? Just tell me," I insisted.

He pushed me gently onto the edge of the bed and then sat next to me. He was shaking a little bit.

"Bella, you were gone for a long time. Life didn't just sit still while you were gone," he whispered. "Everyone else has found mates. I'm talking every person in the pack. They got to move on... but I was suck, Bella. The only one I wanted was nowhere to be found. I didn't leave my house for a month after our quick scan in Alaska. I didn't want to move. I thought you were dead, Bella. Everyone thought you were dead."

"Jake... I didn't know," I breathed.

He laughed sadly and shook his head. "I spent the entire time you were gone just... just wishing as hard as I could that you would come back, that you would understand that _I_ could be there for you like Edward never was. After that first month, I searched and I searched, and I never could find you. I went as far as I could.

"When you called, I swear, I could have screamed, I was so happy. Just hearing your voice..." He trailed off. "And then, after what seemed like _forever_, you come back... with a fiancé. I just never seem to win."

"Jacob," I started.

"No, Bella. Don't say anything." His voice cracked. "I'm happy that you are happy. You are all that matters." He kissed me lightly on the cheek, and the left through the window.

I sat there, on the edge of my bed, absolutely dumbstruck. I had a tiny inkling that Jacob felt something that was a little stronger for friendship... but I didn't know it was as strong as he said it was. I didn't want Jacob to go. I wanted him to be back, sitting on the bed next to me.

I didn't know what to think, what to say, or how I could possibly fix what I had done to Jacob. I left... just like Edward did. I felt awful. I didn't want to move, didn't want to talk. I just looked out my window.

That was how Laurent found me. He sat in the spot that was occupied by Jacob just moments before. He wiped a tear from my cheek. I didn't even realize I had been crying.

"Were you listening?" I whispered.

"I wasn't. I wouldn't violate your privacy like that," he replied quietly.

"Jacob loves me, Laurent." I looked up at him.

I don't think he knew how to react. He frowned, and for the first time since I had known him, absolutely confused. It was just a fleeting look, though. In just a second, his face went blank.

"And you love him, too?" he asked.

"Not like that, Laurent," I clarified. He relaxed instantly. "I only love you like that."

"You, my love, are quite the catch," he laughed.

"Yeah," I said sarcastically.

"No, really! I am quite lucky to have you, I think."

"Are you?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. The luckiest, I think. And thank God! I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do this." He cupped my face in his hands and gently pressed his lips to mine. His hands slowly trailed down my neck. When he reached my shoulders, he pushed me softly so I was lying flat on my bed. I reached for the hem of his shirt, and he helped me take it off. His perfectly sculpted torso distracted me from kissing him for a moment... he was beautiful.

He pressed his lips against my neck, and started crooning words in French. My hands tangled in his hair. I didn't want him to stop... which was why I was infuriated when he whispered, "Your father is coming." He was out of sight in a second.

I pulled my blankets over me and rolled onto my side as fast as I possibly could. I was still breathing unbelievably hard.

I heard the door creek open a few seconds later. Charlie stood there for a minute, sighed, and then closed the door. Laurent waited before slipping into bed beside me.

"I suppose we will have to be more careful from now on. I am not used to being sneaky with you," he whispered.

"We never had to worry about Charlie walking in when we were in Spain, did we?" I laughed.

"We don't have to wait long. Alice is planning the wedding faster than I thought she would," said Laurent.

"Of course she is. She loves planning weddings."

"Speaking of, where do you want to go on the honeymoon?" he asked.

"Where did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could go somewhere different... we've been to Alaska, Spain, and you've certainly spent a lot of time in Washington... how about France? I have a house there, and I think you would like it very much," he explained.

"I love it," I gasped.

"Excellent! France it is."

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**Review? I mean, you don't have to... I would never hold a chapter hostage for "X" amount of reviews. It's just nice, you know? Makes me feel good :)**


	23. Chapter 23

Alice had planned almost the entire wedding at a shockingly fast pace. It was only _three days_ after we got to Forks that Alice dragged me into her massive bathroom. She told me to cover my eyes, and I obeyed, even though I was extremely irritated. I was having a nice Cullen, Charlie, and Jacob-free moment with Laurent, which were getting more and more rare, when she pulled me right out of his arms and carried me to her bathroom.

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder.

When she finally let me struggle out of her grasp, she made me cover my eyes. "Alice, this is silly," I sighed.

She giggled, and pushed me forward gently.

"Okay... open!" she exclaimed.

I opened my eyes and what I saw made my jaw drop. Alice was holding up what was quite possibly the most beautiful wedding dress I had ever seen.

"And you get to try it on!" she squealed.

A minute later, Alice had me all dressed and standing in front of the mirror. I grinned. It was a beautiful dress. Alice had worked her magic.

There was a knock at the door. "Uh, Bella?" It was Laurent.

"Yeah?" I called, still looking in the mirror. Alice was fluttering all around me, adjusting here, tweaking there.

"Charlie is at the door, and he wants to see you," he said. He was holding something back.

And I understood why as soon as Charlie's fists hit the door. "Bella, I know you're in there, and I _know_ you are talking about wedding stuff, and I need you to tell Alice that there is no way I am wearing the suit she sent over!" he exclaimed.

I laughed. "Dad, you're a little worked up about it, don't you think?"

He threw open the door, and Alice freaked out. "Laurent, cover your eyes now!" she shrieked. By the time the door swung open, Laurent had his hands over his eyes, and he was facing the other way.

"What's going on?" he gasped.

"Charlie, why in the world would you throw the door open?" asked Alice, ignoring Laurent.

"What's going _on_?" repeated Laurent. "Why can't I look over there?"

"Do you see this suit, Alice? I look ridiculous!" cried Charlie.

"I'm going to look if I don't find out now," said Laurent.

"Turn around and I'll rip your arms off, Laurent," growled Alice. "Charlie, you look fine. Don't get upset just because it doesn't look like what you wore the last time you dressed up. Now both of you go!" She slammed the door.

I laughed. "Wow..."

Alice shook her head. "See what you've put me through?" she asked, throwing her arms into the air.

"You love it."

"I totally love it," she gushed. "Weddings are so much fun! But, now that I know what you look like in the dress, you have to get out of it. I still have to make a few changes, and then it'll be perfect."

I frowned. "Alice, you've not told me _when_ the wedding is," I sighed. She had been keeping it secret, even though I knew she knew when we were having it.

She grinned. "Oh, I know."

I almost stomped my foot, but then realized that I'd probably look like a five-year-old. I settled for whining. "But why? It's my wedding!"

She unzipped the back of my dress and threw my clothes at me. When I finally had them on, she spoke. "Well, considering it's tomorrow... I didn't want you to freak out."

"Tomorrow?" I squeaked. I opened the bathroom door and almost ran out. "Laurent!" I called.

He was in the room a second later. Alice slammed the bathroom door behind me. She didn't want him to see the dress at _all_.

He swept past me and yelled at Alice through the door. "That is hardly fair, Alice! How am I supposed to invi-"

"It's already done!" sang Alice from the other side. "I know who you want to invite, and they've been invited."

He turned towards me, a puzzled expression on his face. "Well, that was my only complaint."

I knew there was someone she couldn't get out in time. "What about Ren-"

"Got her," answered Alice simply. "She'll be here in a few hours."

I looked at Laurent, absolutely dumbstruck. "I... I guess we're getting married tomorrow."

He frowned. "I don't really have any objections."

Alice spoke again, and this time I could tell she was right behind the door. "And Bella?" she asked. She sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

"What is it?" I asked skeptically.

"Your mom is less than two minutes away."

"What?" I gasped. "I don't even know what to tell her! She'll know I'm lying when I tell her where I've been! Oh, God," I exclaimed. I ran down the stairs, but didn't really have a reason why. I just needed something to do while I freaked out.

"Bella, Bella, calm down," said Laurent, taking my shoulders.

"I don't know what I'm going to tell her," I whispered.

"I'll handle it," he murmured.

"She'll know that I'm hiding something! She can read me like a book," I breathed.

"Bella, don't worry."

"Don't worry!" I hissed. "How can't I worry whe-" The sound of the door opened cut me off. I pasted a smile on my face and turned to see my mom standing with Carlisle and Phil, who had her bags in their arms. "Mom!" I exclaimed, trying my hardest to seem as enthusiastic as I could while I was as nervous as I was.

"Oh, Bella!" she exclaimed. She closed the short distance between us quickly and swept me up into a tight hug. "I've missed you so much, and I thought you were dead, and then you came back, and then you're getting married!" she gasped.

"Mom, mom, mom," I laughed. "Breathe."

She looked over my shoulder. "And is this the guy?" she asked.

I stepped away from her, and Laurent stepped forward. "Yes, I am the lucky one," said Laurent, switching on his irresistible French charm.

Renee smiled. "How did you and Bella meet?" she asked innocently. I knew that voice... it was the one she used when she wanted to seem nonchalant, but really was dying to know.

Laurent remained vague. "We were introduced through the Cullens."

Mom was clearly not satisfied, but she knew she could get it out of me easily. She let it go, and gestured to Phil. "This is my husband, Phil," she said grinning from ear to ear. Phil put the bags on the ground and reached for Laurent's hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said, looking Laurent over. I never really thought of Phil as someone who would be protective over me, but I knew as soon as he looked at Laurent that he was. Phil gave me a quick hug and then turned to Carlisle. "Where do you want me to put the bags?" he asked.

Esme entered the room from the kitchen. "I'll show you to you rooms," she said, smiling warmly. She loved showing guests around the house, but she hardly ever got to do it.

I turned to Laurent as soon as they left.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" asked Laurent, wrapping his arms around me.

I sighed. "She hasn't even _started_ yet. She'll know that we aren't telling the truth, and there is no way we could tell her where we've been, or what we've been doing!"

Laurent frowned. "Let's not worry about that now. We'll think of something later, on the honeymoon maybe," he suggested.

I nodded. I would be happy putting the conversation with my mom off for as long as I could.

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**So there are only a few chapters left :) But I cannot say a single word about the ending.**

**Review?**


	24. Chapter 24

The following morning, Alice woke me up at nine-thirty in the morning. I had slept over at the Cullen's house so I could be with Renee. Esme insisted that they stay at the house and not at a hotel. Renee had me up until one in the morning while she talked about her newest interests and fads that she was interested in. I managed to keep away from the subject of Laurent, surprisingly.

"Bella! Wake up!" exclaimed Alice, jumping onto the bed that Emmett had put together the night before. He loved building things, and he got a kick out of making something he would never use. "You have to open your eyes right now so I can make you wonderful for the wedding in six hours!"

I opened my eyes slowly. "Why? I have hours?" I groaned.

"Don't care," she answered simply.

"Where's Laurent?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

She gasped. "Bella, you can't see him before the wedding! That's... that's totally breaking the wedding rules!"

I sat up. "But I want to see him!" I exclaimed. "Laurent!" I called.

Alice giggled. "All of the boys have him quite occupied. And by occupied I mean they took him out of the house so he wouldn't sneak in to see you before the wedding."

I glared at her. "Alice, that's just mean."

She grinned. "Oh, I know! It's so fun!"

She pulled me out of bed and waited very impatiently as I got dressed. I figured that it was a simple jeans and t-shirt day. It surprisingly wasn't raining outside, which was probably why Alice had planned an outside wedding. She must have seen it.

"Okay! Now you get to see it!" she squealed as soon as I finished tying my shoe. She took my hand and dragged me down the stairs.

"Morning, Bella," said Esme as we passed through the kitchen. She was putting the final touches on an extravagant wedding cake. It had to be at least three feet tall.

"Morning," I mumbled. Alice took me out of the kitchen quickly and threw open the back door.

"Tah-dah!" she said. Their backyard had been made over wonderfully. Lights hung from the trees, and flowers were _everywhere_. To the right was a long white carpet that led to an arch. In front of the arch were a few rows of benches, where the guests would sit during the ceremony. On the left, she had a massive table, which I assumed was where she'd put all the food. There were small round dinner tables stacked on top of each other, waiting to be placed in their appropriate spots.

"I'm not done yet, but this is what I have so far," she said, smiling.

"Wow, Alice," I breathed. "It's beautiful."

"I know. So your mom will be up in a few minutes and she'll want to talk to you alone. I'll have Rosalie take you into her bathroom, and she'll insist that she can't leave while she plans your hair and makeup. I know that you and Laurent haven't thought of anything to tell her yet... I haven't thought of anything yet, either," she explained. "Rose, come get Bella! I have to finish this!" she called.

"But wait, wha-" I started.

"Come on, Bella. Your mom is already up, so I have to get you upstairs," said Rosalie. She picked me up and rushed me up the stairs. Her bathroom was even bigger and more stocked with beauty products than Alice's.

Right on cue, Renee yelled, "Bella, where are you?"

Rosalie pulled out a chair and thrust me into it. She quickly set about a million different products on the counter and plugged in a curling iron. "I'm in Rosalie and Emmett's bathroom, mom!" I replied.

A minute later, she entered the room. Rosalie started picking up stray pieces of my hair and spraying them with something that smelled like watermelons. "Hi... I was going to ask if you wanted to go to breakfast, but it looks like you're a little busy," she said.

"Yeah, Rosalie is kind of busy," I said, shrugging.

"Alice planned all of this so quickly, I couldn't plan anything for Bella's hair. I have to try a few things first," confirmed Rosalie, trying her hardest to sound pleasant.

"Oh," said Renee. "Well, I'd like to talk to you anyway." She sat on the floor by my legs. "Tell me about Laurent!" she giggled.

I smiled. "Laurent is amazing. He's nice, he's a gentleman, he is funny, he can cook." I stopped myself before spilling something that would have made things awkward. _He's immortal._

"Oh, he sounds lovely," sighed my mom.

I nodded absent-mindedly. Something had occurred to me in that second. He was immortal, and I was not. He would live forever, but I'd only have a short time with him. I didn't want the few years I had... I wanted to be with him forever...

Alice burst into the room a second later, interrupting my train of thought. "Bella!" she exclaimed. She smiled tightly. "I need to talk to you about something. Something urgent."

Renee stood up. "Can I help with anything? Just give me a job, and I'll do it. Phil left earlier this morning with Carlisle, and I have not been given anything to do!"

Alice paused. "I think Esme would like your help in the kitchen."

Renee nodded and then left the room.

"You really want Renee to help with the kitchen?" I laughed.

"I'm not worried about that right now. What I'm worried about is the vision I just had," said Alice, raising an eyebrow.

"And what was your vision about?" I asked. I had a feeling I knew...

"Oh, just a certain someone on her honeymoon being changed by someone else," she said. "Bella, you know how we feel, but you really can't expect to be changed then. Wait until you're back here..."

"I didn't even know that's what I was planning. I mean, it would be nice..." I trailed off.

She sighed angrily. "Bella, just wait. You know Laurent will never agree to it now."

"Okay," I murmured. Maybe I'd wait. I knew she was right about Laurent. He would probably wait as long as Edward wanted to.

She shook her head and left the room, leaving Rosalie and me by ourselves.

"Bella, I don't think you should be changed at all," said Rosalie

"Oh, thanks," I said. "Would you just like me to move out of the country all together, too? Laurent does have a place in France, you know."

"No, no, no," she said. "I just mean that... well, you have everything! A husband, a loving family, and you get to be _human_! Why would you give that up? It's so... so stupid!" She pulled a piece of my hair a little too hard.

"Ow! I'll still have my husband and my family if I'm a vampire," I insisted.

She shook her head. "Do whatever you want," she spat. "Just don't come crying to me in a hundred years when you're bored out of your mind."

I struggled to stay silent. I had a feeling that under no circumstances would I ever go crying to Rosalie... ever.

The hours passed quickly. Rosalie finished my hair and makeup after two hours. I went from being dressed in my jeans, to practically being _thrown_ into my wedding dress. An hour and a half before the wedding, I heard the boys come home. I was _still_ in Rosalie's bathroom. Alice was trying to teach me how to walk in heels.

"Laurent!" I exclaimed. I knew he heard.

A moment later, his voice was at the bathroom door. "Bella?" he asked. "How are you holding up in there?"

"Terribly! You try being cooped up with Alice when she's on a party fueled high!" I exclaimed.

Alice scowled. "Bella, if you don't practice right now, you are going to fall right on your face when Charlie walks you down the aisle."

"I would not let you fall, Bella," said Laurent assuringly.

Alice walked over to the door. "Laurent?" she asked sweetly.

It was silent for a moment. "Yes?" he asked suspiciously

"Go!" she exclaimed.

He laughed. "Sorry, Bella! There seems to be something I have to do _way_ at the other end of the house."

After that, it seemed time went even faster. Fifteen minutes before the wedding was supposed to start, I began to feel faint. I was in Rosalie's room. She, Alice, and Esme were getting into their dresses. Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and Carmen were going to be my bride's maids. The only problem was, Carmen hadn't gotten there yet. I sat down on the bed and put my head in my hands.

"Don't mess up your makeup," said Rosalie.

"Don't worry about Carmen," said Alice. "She'll be here in just a minute."

Sure enough, Carmen burst into the room a moment later. "I'm here! Where's the dress?" she asked quickly.

After Carmen threw her dress on, she, Rosalie, and Esme left the room. Alice was the only one left.

I looked up at her from my perch on the bed. "Oh my God, Alice. I'm so nervous."

She smiled. "Don't worry, Bella. You love Laurent, and he certainly loves you back. You have nothing to worry about."

Charlie knocked at the door, then, and entered the room. He was grinning sadly. Alice nodded at him, and then bustled out of the room. I heard the music start.

"Come on, Bella... we have to go now," he said.

I nodded and managed to make it to him without breaking an ankle. He looked slightly uncomfortable in his suit, but other than that, he actually seemed happy. He took my arm, and led me out of the room. We headed as quickly as we could towards the back door.

"You don't seem as angry as you were," I commented.

He laughed. "Well, you're happy, Bella. That's all I ever really want."

I felt tears spring to my eyes. "Thanks, dad."

When we got to the back door, Alice was making her way down the aisle with Jasper on her arm. When she reached her spot, I knew it was my turn to walk. Charlie led me slowly down the backstairs. I had to look at my feet to make sure I wasn't going to trip. I took a deep breath before I looked up. I knew that my entire family would be there, and so would some of Laurent's... or so I though. He said he had people he had to invite.

When I was sure I was not going to fall, I looked up. I realized that there were people in the seats on either side of the aisle, but I had no desire to look at them. I knew that the ones on Laurent's side were vampires, but I didn't care. The one I really wanted to see was standing straight ahead. Laurent was dressed in a simple black tux. The moment I looked at him, I couldn't stop smiling. The beautiful man standing there would be mine forever. No, not forever, for as long as I lived.

I had to keep myself from frowning. I wanted him for much longer than a lifetime. I wanted him _forever_. I knew he noticed that something was wrong, because his smile fell a little also. When I finally made it all the way down the aisle, and after Charlie sat down, he took my hand.

The minister started to drone about how he had known the Swan family for as long as he could remember.

"What is wrong?" whispered Laurent.

"Nothing," I replied.

"You realized something when you were walking," he countered. "What was it."

I sighed. "I want you forever."

He tried to hold in a laugh as the minister told a story about when I was little. "In a few minutes, you will have me forever."

I shook my head. "I'll have you for as long as I live, not forever."

He didn't have a chance to reply. After our vows, the minister grinned. The next part must have been his favorite part.

"Do you, Laurent Chevalier, take Bella Swan to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Laurent smiled. "I do."

"And do you, Bella Swan, take Laurent Chevalier to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I felt a tear run down my cheek. "I do."

The minister laughed jovially. "You may now kiss the bride!" he exclaimed.

Laurent stepped forward. Before he kissed me, he whispered, "Forever."

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**SO! ahaha I realized something while I was writing this. Laurent... Laurent doesn't have a last name! So, me being me, I just gave him the last name "Knight" in French hahaha. :D And this chapter seems a little longer than usual, so sorry if it's a bit of a slow read!**

**Review? :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**So! This is... THE LAST CHAPTER!**

**Gasp? What? huh??!**

**No, this really is the end. :) Mwahahaha is all I have to say about it.**

* * *

The first time I actually noticed the people at the wedding was after we had our first dance. Charlie, Renee, and Phil were there, of course. I saw Jacob and his dad and the Denali clan. Then there were others, who I assumed were from Laurent's side, that I didn't know.

One of them was rather portly, which was odd to see considering he was a vampire. He was talking to Eleazar, and it was a good thing he didn't need to breathe. Eleazar was laughing so hard, I was surprised he was still standing. The man was telling a story with more enthusiasm than I had ever seen.

He had two women on his arms. One was a small, beautiful woman. A vampire, obviously. On his other arm was a tall, skinny... human?

I looked around for Laurent, who I found talking to Carmen next to one of Alice's elaborate flower creations. I was by his side just a moment later.

"So I told him that he doesn't get any for a week!" announced Carmen just as I walked up. She smiled. "Lovely wedding, Mrs. Chevalier. I should be getting to Eleazar now, though. I bet you anything he's already made a stupid bet with Louis." She walked away.

"Laurent?" I whispered.

"Yes, love?" he asked. He was smiling brightly. He pecked me quickly on the lips before I could continue.

I laughed. "What was that for?"

"Oh, just flaunting that I get to kiss you in front of all our close friends. What was it you were going to ask?"

I lowered my voice even further. "Who is that guy over there?" I pointed to the man. Carmen was with them now. It looked like she was scolding Eleazar.

Laurent chuckled. "Would you like to know how I obtained my castle in France?"

"Sure," I said skeptically, cocking an eyebrow.

"That man's name is Louis. I'm sure he'll want you to call him Uncle Louis, actually. At one point, he owned almost all of the castles in the Loire Valley," explained Laurent.

"Wait. Was Uncle Louis a... a king at one point?" I asked.

Laurent laughed loudly. "Yes! King Louis XIV!"

"Laurent, my boy!" called Uncle Louis. He must have heard us talking. "Come here, and bring your beautiful wife!"

Laurent grabbed my hand and led me to Uncle Louis. Carmen and Eleazar were arguing quietly on his left side, next to the vampire woman. The human looked completely comfortable with the fact that she was linking arms with someone who could very easily kill her right there... of course, I couldn't judge. I was doing the exact same thing.

"Uncle Louis, this is my wife Bella," said Laurent.

Uncle Louis swept into a deep bow. "It is a pleasure to meet a rose such as you. You are the picture of perfection." He took my hand and kissed it. He gestured to the vampire. "This is Angelique."

"Nice to meet you," I said.

She glanced at me. "Charmed, I'm sure."

Laurent squeezed my hand.

"And this," continued Uncle Louis, "is Gabrielle."

"Oh, hello!" she exclaimed in a thick French accent. "It was a lovely wedding."

"Thanks," I said, trying to hide my confusion. I had no idea why King Louis XVI would be a vampire, or why he would bring along a few girlfriends to the wedding.

"Why don't you tell Bella your story," suggested Laurent, sensing my undoubtedly obvious confusion.

"Oh! It is a funny story! You see... I love women. I love them more than anything in the _entire_ world! And when I was approached by a young woman back in the 1600s, and when she told me that I would get to live with her _forever_, you can imagine the excitement I felt!" exclaimed Uncle Louis. "There I was, King of France, and I could live forever! Of course, Angelique informed me that we'd have to find someone to replace me... he'd take my name, but I still got to keep the castles, the money, and the beautiful woman!" He lowered his voice and whispered, "She even lets me take another every once in awhile!" He laughed. "Isn't that right, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Oh, yes. That is right."

"So yes, Angelique changed me, and here I am!" He threw his arms into the air. "King of France!"

It was silent for a moment. "Well, you are the luckiest man alive, aren't you!" I exclaimed, trying to match his enthusiasm.

He smiled widely. "I am so glad you think so, my beautiful lady!"

"Yes," said Laurent quickly. "So now you know who gave me his castle. I showed him that life with the women would be much easier on a diet of animals and he gave me Guillonniere."

"It was a small price to pay! It is much easier this way!" As if to prove a point, he kissed Gabrielle on the cheek.

"Bella!" called someone on the other side of the yard. I took that opportunity to leave.

"It was nice meeting you," I said, smiling.

"Oh, the pleasure is mine!" exclaimed Uncle Louis.

The person who called my name was Jacob. He met me halfway, just so I didn't have to walk as far in my heels. Oh, he could have just come to me, but then he wouldn't have gotten to see me hobble around in the death traps that Alice deemed "acceptable."

"You're going to end up killing yourself in those shoes," said Jacob as soon as I reached him. I grabbed his arm for support.

"Thanks for the help, too. That was great," I muttered sarcastically.

Jacob chuckled. "I just... I just can't believe you're getting married, Bella." He looked over my shoulder and frowned, and I knew it was safe to assume that Laurent was coming.

"Jacob, I am so happy that you could make it," said Laurent.

Jacob made his best attempt at a smile. "Oh, I wouldn't miss this."

"If you want, there are some sodas in the refrigerator. Alice put them there so Phil wouldn't drink them because Renee said that he didn't need the sugar... but you can feel free to have them all! Nobody here will drink them," said Laurent.

"Laurent, come here!" called Eleazar from the dance floor. "Carmen doesn't know how to dance."

Laurent gave me a puzzled look before going to see what in the world Eleazar was talking about and why he needed assistance with his Carmen problem.

Jacob sighed. "It's so hard to hate that guy."

"Then don't?" I suggested.

He laughed and looked at his feet. "It's not that simple, Bella."

I frowned. "I wish you would try."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into a massive hug. "I'll try."

"Attention everyone!" exclaimed Alice from the back door. "I need Bella and Laurent to get over here right now or else they're going to miss their flight!"

Jacob let me go. "Have fun," he whispered.

My mom and dad intercepted me before I got to Alice. "You be safe, Bells. We don't need any... well, just be safe," muttered Charlie.

"Thanks, Dad," I said. I gave him a quick hug.

Renee had tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Bella! I love you so much and here you are all married! And you're so happy!" She pulled me into a tight embrace. "You have fun on your honeymoon! I love you."

"Love you, too," I said, trying not to cry. Whenever she cried, it was hard for me not to follow.

"Hurry, Bella! You're cutting it close already!" exclaimed Alice.

I turned my back on her and looked at the people at the reception. There wasn't a sad face there. All of them were laughing, talking, having a good time. At the very edge of the backyard, Edward was standing, his jaw clenched. When I looked at him, his face broke out into a genuine smile.

"I'm happy that you're happy," he mouthed.

I nodded.

Alice grabbed my hand and yanked me into the house. "Go, go, go!" she exclaimed.

Laurent took my hand from her and ended up carrying me to the car. He placed me gently in the passenger seat and closed the door. He took special care not to close it on my dress, which Alice would have killed him for. Just a minute later, we were far, far away from the people at our reception.

Laurent chuckled. "That was thrilling and all, but..."

"I'm glad we're alone now," I finished.

He reached for my hand, the one with the ring on it, and kissed it lightly. "You are going to love the place in France. Louis was very, _very_ grateful that I made things easier for him."

I laughed. "I would imagine so! He just dates humans like that?" I asked.

Laurent nodded. "He loves humans. I just don't know what he sees in them," said Laurent, trying to hide the smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, it really must be horrible. The poor guy," I said, studying his face carefully.

"Yes. It's not fun, I would know," he agreed.

I glared at him. "You suck."

"I'm kidding, love!" he laughed. "They're not so bad once you get to know them."

I sighed happily. "I can't wait to get there."

We were at the airport thirty minutes later, thanks to Laurent's insane driving speed. He drove even faster than the Cullens... it was terrifying.

When we got to our seats, first class, of course, Laurent told me that I should sleep on the plane because when we got to France, it would be daytime. And to my surprise, I fell asleep easier than I ever would have thought. Just minutes after the plane took off, I was dead asleep. The wedding really had taken it out of me. It was probably the shoes...

There was still something I had to talk about with Laurent, though. I knew that he would be happy to spend the rest of my life with me... but I wanted more than that. I was selfish. I wanted to have Laurent with me _forever_, not for a couple of decades. I didn't know what he would do, though, when I asked. The Cullens were always very hesitant to even _talk_ about my becoming a vampire. I could only assume that Laurent felt the same.

I was nudged awake by Laurent what seemed like minutes later. "Bella, we're landing soon," he whispered.

I opened my eyes slowly. I had a window seat, and I was surprised that the sun was not shining. I looked out the window, and there were clouds in all directions. Leave it to Alice to plan for everything. She even knew what the weather was like in France, just to make it easier for Laurent and me to travel.

When we touched down, Laurent quickly got our bags for baggage claim, picked up a _very_ expensive looking car from a man who seemed a little shady, and then drove us to his castle. It was a much shorter drive than I would have thought.

"We're almost there!" exclaimed Laurent ten minutes into the drive.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. It's in a convenient location, but nobody ever, ever goes there. It's the best," he said, grinning.

Sure enough, a few minutes later we were standing in front of Château de Guillonniere. Laurent beamed as he opened the front door. Even the entryway was decorated lavishly. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling and the walls were dripping with fine art. On the left was a formal dining room, and on the right was a room with a piano and a harp.

I laughed. "Do you play the harp?"

He pursed his lips. "I've just about mastered every single instrument known to man," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"You liar," I giggled.

"You're right. I just play the piano... the harp's is there because Louis thought it looked pretty," he laughed. "Want to see the bedroom?"

"Sure do!"

Laurent dropped the bags and picked me up. He ran so quickly that the rest of the castle was a blur of colors. He was at the door leading to the bedroom a second later.

He grinned. "This is a wonderful room, you know."

"Is it?" I asked a bit impatiently.

"Oh yes. I would venture to say it's the most wonderful room in the whole castle," he insisted.

"Wouldn't you like me to see it then?"

"No, first I was going to tell you about the door. It was hand-crafted, you know," he teased. "It was supos-

I pressed my lips to his, interrupting whatever he was about to say. I didn't care about the door. He took the hint.

"I don't care about the door either," he said, correctly guessing what I was thinking. He opened the door and crossed the room quickly. He set me on the bed. He stood in front of me. "This bed was hand-cr-"

I grabbed his tie. "I don't care if this bed was hand-crafted." I was impressed with myself. Usually, I would have been the color of a tomato by now. It was different, though. I wanted Laurent.

"Fair enough!" he said. He pushed me lightly onto my back. He kissed my forehead, my cheek, the tip of my nose. When he finally found my lips, he didn't hold back. My hands tangled in his hair. His fingers nimbly found the zipper on the side of my dress. He slowly unzipped it, and a few moments later, it was on the ground. He kissed my neck.

"Laurent?" I gasped.

"Hmm?"

"I want you to change me."

He paused. "Right now?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Yes. I want you forever."

He looked into my eyes. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I love you."

He peered into my eyes for a long moment. "I love you, too," he breathed.

He slowly trailed his fingers over my collarbone. He took a deep breath and kissed my neck three times before I felt his razor sharp teeth pierce my skin.

* * *

**I know what you're thinking, and no... there will not be an epilogue. I don't even think that there is going to be a sequel!... maybe, but probably not. You can use your imagination about what happens next, right? :)**

**They all lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER!**

**Ze End.**

**Review? :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**HEY! ****YOU GUYS!!! ****Guess what. ****There is a sequel! ****It is called Uneasily Detatched, and I really think you guys will LOVE it. **

**Now, why write a sequel when you so clearly told us that there was to be no more of this story? WELL! A loverly writer, JacksonsWIFEY, told me that she would cowrite one with me. We came up with a GREAT idea, and I hope you guys really love it!**

**And it's up right now! :D**


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